Not The Half Blood Prince
by broomstick flyer
Summary: This is my replacement for HBP, in this there will be no hurcruxes though the story will begin with Hermione's treatment of Harry starting out as it did in HBP. In this Harry doesn't put up with it for long. Also seen are some changes in the Dursleys
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer, I don't own Harry Potter or any of his friend's.

Wish I did, then I would write another book 6 and 7 with what I consider a far more realistic end than someone highly intelligent like Hermione falling for a brain damaged inbred cretin who would obviously father further brain dead cretins like Ron (duh) Weasley.

**A/Note: Here we go, I'm off on yet another circular rant about the last two books, you can save getting bored by skipping down to the actual story without missing a darn thing**, except me Merlinsaprentice once again getting in a tizzy over the way the series rapidly went downhill after GoF leading to it being nigh on impossible to believe it was the same story in the sixth and seventh books and the very strange pairings in the epilogue, placing Hermione the brightest witch of the age with Ron the dumbest red head of any age, and Harry with super Ginny who only ever said about five or six lines in the first five books was in my opinion a total cop out, proving that JKR either only ever intended on writing the one book and ran out of ideas half way through the fifth one, or the publisher used a cheap ghost writer who just happened to forget to read the originals.

A few nights ago I was once again checking out some of the huge plot holes and enormous flaws in continuity in the last two books (6 HBP, 7 DH) there are so many, I noticed one that surprised me when I realised that I had previously over looked a really obvious one, how? I don't know because they now seem such glaringly obvious mistakes.

Ron and Hermione promised at the end of HBP to stay at Privet Drive with Harry. Harry also said he was only going to stay at Privet Drive for a short visit this time. He mentioned nothing about staying until his birthday which would have been a long visit, roughly one and a half - two months. Being as the school closed before the normal end of term it was not a short time at all. Nor did he or the order mention they would be picking him up.

In DH it seems Ron and Hermione not only broke that promise and did not stay at Privet Drive with Harry, they only arrived along with the rest of the order shortly before his birthday. But Harry had also seemingly changed his mind about how long he would stay there and who he would leave with. What happened to beginning the hunt with just the three of them and not telling anyone they were leaving or when? All this happened without having a reason given for the huge change of plan or did JKR make another huge continuity error and forgot how HBP ended. (oh and going to Bills wedding being the reason Harry would stay longer than necessary at his prison at his aunts house doesn't work for me.)

Or did some other poor quality ghost writer of the last book forget to check? Which would be no big surprise to me as I personally am still not convinced that HBP/DH and the first four books are from the same writer because the settings, characters, and their attitudes are so vastly different from the first four books. I'm not too sure about OoTP. That and the extremely odd change of middle name for one of the two main characters. (Although I am almost certain that Jean as Hermione's new middle name was a typo error). I mean what kind of author would decide to change a main characters name because they wished to use the same name for a small part player like Umbitch.

Anyway as I read and wrote these thoughts out I was infected by another plot bunny, so with a new idea in my head I started this little story just to see where it leads me too, as of yet I have no complete plot just some vague ideas and just one firm aim, bring Harry and Hermione together without Ron tagging along as things should have been for the last three books. Why would Harry or anyone else for that matter forgive a supposed best friend who treated him the way Ron did in Goblet of Fire. I have asked several young teenage people and none said they would forgive being treated as a liar and cheat, some even admitted they would still be disinclined to forgive even if they were guilty. So I have some drabbles and ideas that I have not explored yet and I intend to meld them together if I can and see what we end up with.

Merlin…

Another A/Note, I highly doubt there will be any Horcrux like things in this tale because I don't see how a soul or part there of can be split from the body that it is housed in without causing death, as in the AK curse.

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Not The Half Blood Prince

It was two and a half months into the sixth years winter term when Harry Potter had finally had enough of Hermione Grangers treatment; the girl he had been the best friend of for the previous five years was treating him with coldness, distance, and on several occasions with what could definitely be called unfriendliness. It seemed she no longer supported or helped him in anyway, she was no longer the loyal and trusting friend that she had been, and she had even practically accused him of being a cheat in the potions class.

He knew he was a bit of a prat sometimes, got things wrong especially with girls. He also knew he was quite adept at saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, though try as he might he could not remember doing or saying anything wrong other than the fight in the DoM, and she had insisted on going with him into that fight. It was when she practically called him paranoid and delusional with out a real reason that she finally convinced him she really no longer wished to have anything to do with him. She was no longer his friend. He made his mind up if he saw her crying again after Ron bloody Weasley had hurt her feelings by snogging Lavender, she would have to find some other suckers shoulder to cry on, he was hurt enough. He did not need anymore pain so he pushed down the feelings of love he had developed for her and tried to move on. There were others who would happily become his best friend in her place.

**Hogwarts Library**

Hermione was sitting in her usual spot in the library when she saw Harry walk in the doorway of the library; he was obviously looking around for someone. Convinced he was looking for her she once again began to steel herself, ready to push his next attempt at being friendly away; she had decided during the summer holidays that she would distance herself from him. She did not want to be in love with someone who was living with a death sentence hanging over him, it just wasn't logical. That and she was scared about what could happen after her narrow escape from death at the M.o.M. added to that was the prophecy and how things could end.

Memory Flashback

_Ever since he had told her about the prophecy that said he was the only one able to beat Voldemort, and that one of them would have to die as they could not both live, she had been scared of loving him, and scared of having her heart broken. Scared of losing him to his almost certain death. So she thought it logical that if she kept him at a distance she would not feel the hurt these strong feelings caused. If she was logical about it all she would stop loving him and lose the fear, be a normal girl, do her school work and not follow him into anymore crazy escapades. So she used her logic, it was what she was good at._

_The easiest way for her to distance her self from him like that was to choose someone else to love, pick another boy to fall for. So with her head she chose her other best friend Ronald Weasley, he was a bit thick with a nasty bullying streak, continually arguing with her and making her cry, but he was the one she new best after Harry. He was after all her other best friend. So she chose him, and she set out to catch him, telling herself she could love him and change him into a better person._

_She had wondered more than once during the past few weeks just what she should do. How far could she go to distance herself from her former best friend, because it seemed that no matter what she said to him he was still there for her. Always willing to support her and comfort her when Ron made her cry. His constant support while she tried to stop loving him was making her distancing herself from him harder than it should have been. It was beginning to make her angry with him. _

_It was not long before everything she said to him was neither supportive nor as helpful as she had been since they first became friends, and then there was the potion book, when she finally accused him of being something she knew in her heart he could never be. She accused him of being a delusional and paranoid cheat in the potions class in front of all his friends, simply because he was doing better than she was in the class._

End Flashback

**Back in the Library**

She was working on her transfiguration homework when she glanced up and saw Harry's eyes flick toward the table she was sitting at, and as he began to make his way further into the library she dipped her eyes down and busied herself in the book she was reading. Not wanting to have him around, she hoped he would take the hint when she refused to notice him or talk to him.

It was after reading several paragraphs that she realised that Harry had not yet reached her table or asked if he could join her. Looking up she allowed her eyes to roam around the library. The rush of intense jealousy that flooded through her when she saw Harry sitting with a Ravenclaw named Mandy Brocklehurst shocked her; but the real hurt came when Harry handed Mandy his homework and asked her to check it out for him. That had been Hermione's job ever since their first year after he saved her life. For a short while she had forgotten that she had refused to help him anymore and her anger rose simply to sink again as a sudden deep sadness of realisation filled her heart. She suddenly realised what she had lost now she had succeeded in pushing him away, he no longer looked for her first as he had done for so many years.

For the next hour Hermione kept glancing over at him as he talked, laughed, and joked with Mandy, not once did he look over at her. Slowly she began to realise just how badly she had been treating him, she also began to understand how good a job she had done in distancing herself from him. She had done a really good job, and probably lost him even as a simple friend, completely and forever. He hadn't looked her way once since he sat down, and it suddenly hit her, there was an extremely high price she was going to pay for being logical. Hermione never realised she could feel so sad as she packed her books away and walked from the library holding back the tears that threatened to fall.

As Christmas approached Hermione hardly saw Harry anymore, when he wasn't trying to discover what Malfoy was up to, he spent almost all his spare time with Mandy Brocklehurst and Lisa Turpin. While her other best friend Ron Weasley, the boy she had chosen to be her boyfriend was always snogging with Lavender Brown. For the first time since before the troll incident in their first year Hermione was truly feeling completely and utterly alone. The boy she had set her sights on was with someone else, and the boy she really loved so much was no longer even her friend. She missed him so much it was breaking her heart. She felt stupid about it all because in trying to avoid being hurt she had ended up hurting herself even more.

At night behind the closed and silenced curtains of her four poster bed Hermione Jane Granger cried her self to sleep. Night after night she remembered all the awful things she had done and said to push Harry away, and every night she regretted her stupidity in trying to rule her heart with logic.

She decided that rather than going home to her parents this year she would stay at the castle for Christmas, just as Harry always did. That way she would perhaps be able to talk to Harry, ask him to forgive her, hopefully give her another chance like he had given Ron in fourth year.

On the first day of the Yule holiday, the carriages for the Hogwarts express quickly filled. Hermione was utterly disappointed when Harry climbed aboard one with his new friends. That was when she discovered from Luna that Harry had been invited to spend the Christmas holiday with Mandy and her family. She did not find out until the day that Harry left to catch the train along with the majority of the other students that he had made the plans some time back. Hermione was left in Gryffindor tower with only a third year girl for company over the holiday.

Harry had a great time that Christmas at the Brocklehurst house. Mandy had four brothers two older and two a little younger than Harry. None of them were magical and all of them were happy go lucky with a huge sense of humour and no one in the home treated Harry as someone special. He was treated just like an ordinary guy just as Hermione used to treat him; it was what he had first loved about her.

Returning to school after the holiday there was little doubt Harry had had a good time, anyone who knew him could see the difference in him. There was none of the sullenness that usually accompanied him when returning from his home after the holidays. Harry was chipper and cheerful and still spent as much time as he could with the two Ravenclaws; every one knew there was no romance between them, unlike when he had been with Granger. It was just the simple friendship of three people who enjoyed being together. There were no arguments or fights, none of the 'not talking' to each other. Just after Christmas they were joined by another Ravenclaw, one that Hermione had not treated in the best of ways. Luna Lovegood had been almost as close to Harry as Ginny Weasley was, and she had now joined his very small group of close friends.

A month after Christmas Harry started to spend quite some time with the headmaster, even leaving the school grounds to go on some quest. Hermione felt more and more alone as Harry seemed to drift further and further away from her. He rarely spoke to her any more, and if he did it was only if he was asked to pass on a message. Even then he would say nothing more than he had too, he treated her just as he treated the majority of the girls at the school. He even started to use her surname when he did speak to her. She desperately wanted to try to put things right between them because she missed him so much, but she had no idea how to repair the damage she had done to the long friendship that it appeared she had so successfully destroyed.

Two days before Dumbledore was murdered by Snape, Hermione was sitting in the library as usual when she was confronted by Harry's three Ravenclaw friends. All of them told her how much they hated her because of how much she had hurt Harry, and they wanted to know why. What had he done to deserve such treatment from her.

Led by Luna they were demanding an explanation because they could not understand why after all she had put him through in the way she had treated him as she chased after Ron all year long like a common tart, Harry was still actually in love with her although he was trying hard to get over her.

Hermione was shocked by their revelations and although she wanted too she found it impossible to believe them. Especially when everyone knew that Harry had a girlfriend in Ron's sister Ginny Weasley. So she dismissed them as being stupid. It wasn't until later that day as she was reading a potion book; specifically she was reading the chapter about love potions that she saw some of the truth revealed to her in the descriptions on the page.

'_A love potion can not overcome true love for any significant amount of time, one or two weeks being the usual limit. The reason for this is in what true love actually is. To those readers who have not yet had the wonderful experience of true love, below is a short version of what to expect it to be like._

_True Love is wanting someone to be happy even at the cost of your own happiness. Love is doing all you can to give the best you can to someone without asking for anything in return. Love is always thinking of them before thinking about yourself. Love is being willing to give your life to save the one you love. True love is excepting some one as they are, faults and all, and still wanting to be with them._

She realised as she read that all the things she had just read about true love, could well be someone's description of how Harry had treated her over the past few years. How he used to be kind good and generous with her no matter what she did to him. She also recognised that what she had once felt for him was the same thing, that is until she used her logic, before she changed things; and made her self disbelieve him. She was still in love with him and always would be. Still she could not think of a way to sort out the mess she had made, she was still trying to work it all out when the headmaster was killed.

**At The Dursleys, 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging**.

It was exactly a week since Harry Potter had returned from Hogwarts to his Aunts house, he had explained to his former best friends that he only intended on making a very short visit. One week at the most before he set out for his birth place and commenced the search for the hidden parts of Voldemort's soul. They had both promised to join him there but they had not arrived, the week had passed and he had not seen them.

Feeling once again let down by them not turning up he began packing away his few remaining belongings. Some of the things that had changed in his life since Dumbledore's funeral were the fact his so called best friends had once again let him down, and his relatives had been about as undursleyish as they could possibly be.

In fact it had taken him two full days to come to some sort of terms with the complete change around in his relatives.

As he packed his few belongings he was taking with him he remembered all that had happened during and after his old headmasters' burial service up to when he left his friends on the platform at Kings Cross station London.

Dumbledore's funeral

_As the service got underway he looked at the red haired girl sitting with him and suddenly wondered why he had thought he fancied her. She was pretty in a petite Weasley kind of way, but she had a nasty sense of humour and always liked getting the last word in with some kind of put down, worse than that he knew her overbearing mother only too well. _

_She was short and stiff, well to be honest she was actually fat, and not very nice to know if she could not have her own way, and it was really spooky the way she kept saying he was like one of her own children. Or she loved him as her seventh son, yet he hardly knew her, having only spent just a few weeks on holidays with the Weasleys over the past six years and nearly all that time had been spent away from Molly Weasley out in the garden or in the woods or flying, he had always been with Ron or the twins. _

_He suddenly realised why all her sons had left home as soon as they became adults. She was a controlling, manipulative, devious woman with a warped sense of how the world should always be as she pictured it. _

_Ginny would look and be like her mother in ten or twenty years, the thought made him shiver in horror. She was okay as a friend but not as a girlfriend. Ginny was nothing like the girl he really wanted to be with, the girl who it seemed wanted to be with Ron, and have nothing to do with him._

_Looking up and trying to see who was actually conducting the service he noticed his hated ex headmistress Delores Umbridge in the crowd. Seeing her made him think again of the death eaters and Voldemort. They would eagerly be waiting to get their hands on him now. Dumbledore's death had been something they had plotted for an entire year, and now that Albus was gone and out of the way they would be once again plotting some thing suitably evil for his own death. _

_Every one in the wizarding world knew his birthday and the traitor Snape knew that the protection at his aunts' home would disappear the first minute after midnight on his 17__th__ birthday. They would be waiting to strike as soon as the wards fell. If he stayed with his relatives until his birthday he and they would be as good as dead. In fact the sooner they got away from privet drive the safer they would all be. _

_By the time the service was ended he had made up his mind about what he was going to do. He would finish with Ginny, give her some cock-n-bull story about her safety to ease the break up, then leave. Catch the train home then in a weeks time he would leave Little Whinging for the place he was born in. He would warn his relatives about what would happen if they stayed there at number four, and he would be gone long before the death eaters or anyone else expected. Voldemort could waste the next few weeks waiting for a meeting between them that was not going to happen until he was ready, if he ever was._

_Everything was going as he planned, when he ended things with his girl friend of two weeks Ginny Weasley, she had simply wished him luck and the rest of what she said simply proved to him she was just a fan girl. She did not know him at all. Then there were a few wasted words with the Minister of Magic who had held him back a little as everyone left the grounds to enter the castle. Once he had gotten rid of Scrimgeour he was confronted by the two people who had once been his best friends until the beginning of the year._

_Ron Weasley who had been too busy snogging with Lavender Brown to spend anytime with him or helping him, and Hermione Granger who it seemed from the beginning of the year had finally turned against him. She had changed from his most loyal friend and someone he trusted implicitly into some one he didn't know. She was now someone who treated him with coldness and disbelief and even practically called him a cheat for using an old potions book because it had helpful hints and improvements written in it. _

_She had refused point blank to help him, listen to him or believe him about his suspicions of what Malfoy was doing; she had said she wanted nothing to do with his paranoia. She treated him coldly as though she no longer wanted to know him and had never been his friend. So since a couple of weeks before Christmas he had formed new friendships with some of the Ravenclaw students, specifically Luna, Mandy, and Lisa._

_Harry gained a tiny glimmer of hope that some of the five year friendship between the so called golden trio could be salvaged when they had spoken to him. He had told them his rough plans about what he was going to do and they had both promised they would be at Number four Privet Drive with him during his short visit. He had parted with them at the platform 9 ¾ in higher spirits than he was when the day had started. While they had gone home to break the news that they were going with him to their parents, both promising to be with him in a day or so, he made his way to the roadside behind the station to catch the knight bus to Little Whinging._

As the memory faded into the background, slowly dragging his back pack behind him Harry made his way down the stairs to the kitchen where his aunt and uncle waited for him. Aunt Petunia poured him a cup of tea while his cousin Dudley silently took his pack outside and placed it in the car for him. Once again his aunt was crying and his uncle was trying to apologise for how they had treated him. For reasons they were unable to understand they had hated Harry from the day he arrived on their door step as a baby, until just a day or two before he had come home for this last visit. Petunia had spent almost the entire week in tears, crying about how her only nephew had been treated by them. Vernon had sworn to do all he could to make it up to the young man in anyway he could. He had even offered him some money to buy a small car, and bought him a small two man tent to take with him on his travels, just in case he needed it.

Harry had been able to work out that their hate for him had ended just moments after Dumbledore fell from the tower. He had also noticed that since that night he had been able to think clearer. He could remember things easier and in a strange way he felt a lot more intelligent. He felt less inclined to just charge into things without thinking about it first. And he could feel his magical ability had improved vastly in its power and his ability to control it. It had quickly become quite obvious to him that Albus Dumbledore had been suppressing manipulating and using him for his own agenda. It seemed that the old man had purposely placed spells on both him and his relatives. Spells and charms that had ended only with the death of the caster, the now dead Albus Dumbledore had been a truly sick individual.

The old man had also held back on Harry's education, making sure he would never be prepared enough to actually beat Voldemort. The only conclusion Harry could come too was that he was to be sacrificed while the old man claimed the victory for him self. It had not taken Harry long to work it all out and he promised himself that one day soon he would return to Hogwarts and blow the old coot's monument to pieces before he went after McGonagall and the others. The Order of the Phoenix were going to find him worse than Voldemort because he wanted justice against those who had stolen fifteen years of his life and freedom, he vowed to make them pay.

The things that Dumbledore had done in the name of the greater good, Harry found even more nauseating and evil than the way Voldemort repeatedly tried to kill him, and Dumbledore had had help from people Harry had trusted. He was no longer willing to give his trust so easily. People like the Weasleys were now in his book of people not to trust. When he received the invite to Bill and Fleur's wedding he threw it into the rubbish bin. He was convinced that Molly Weasleys 'you're like one of my own' was just another way of keeping thick little Harry Potter under Dumbledore's thumb.

Aunt Petunia was crying once again as Vernon started the car and gave her a quick wave as he along with Harry and Dudley set off for Godrics Hollow.

Petunia's heart was breaking as she watched them go; knowing she may never see Harry again, may never get a chance to try to right the wrongs they had done to him. As the car turned out of their road she prayed her sister would not hate her for what had happened over the past fifteen years.

Vernon drove with a very heavy heart, unable to understand why he had been changed by Dumbledore from the lovable cheery life of the party person he had been in his youth, into a cruel and vindictive hate filled man. As Vernon drove and Dudley tried to read the map. Harry sat looking out into the darkening cloudy sky and watched as they left the suburbs and headed northwest for Wales and the town of Corwen. Plans for his quest were forming in his mind as the miles rolled by. Dudley offered to go with Harry and help him but Harry rightly pointed out that much of what he had to face, Dudley would be unable to see.

"And besides I might just leave them to it, your dad wasn't far wrong in his forced opinion of wizards, an opinion I am coming to share. What ever I do I'm going to make sure I have a good really long holiday away from it all first," Harry said quietly as he turned back to looking out of the window.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer, I don't own Harry Potter or any of his friend's, wish I did, then I would write another book with a better end.

A/Note, Just a thought about JKR's Horcrux additions to the Potter stories, but first a big thank you to all of you who reviewed it for me.

If the diary in CoS was a Horcrux and with a help from a gullible young girl it was able to almost become another version of Voldemort, then doesn't that then mean that it was feasible that at some point in time there could actually have been seven lord Voldemort's walking around, each trying to out do the others.

Now not being a crazy megalomaniac who wants to be the most powerful ruler of the magical world, I can't say for sure but it would seem a really stupid thing to even think of doing. I mean why would some one like Voldemort risk having six other Voldemort's just as powerful as him, all with the same goal as him all walking around wanting to be top dog.

With this consideration taken in to account it actually makes no sense at all to make the horcruxes. So that leaves the question where did the ill thought out plot idea come from. I don't think it was meant to be a part of the series at least for the first four or five books or there would have been some sort of reference to them some where in the stories.

All this leads me back to the idea that some one else wrote the last two books, which would account for the total change in the character of the two lead characters, and the addition of the poorly thought out Horcrux idea. Not to mention the epilogue which was so bad and beyond belief as to make me throw the seventh book in the waste bin moments after finishing it.

None of the really clever women that I know or have known over the years (and in my profession I met many) none have even contemplated going out on a date with some one who was as idle, bad tempered, and unintelligent as the character of Ron Weasley let alone getting married to some one with such a low IQ. Anyway on with the tale minus any horcrux things.

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Not The Half Blood Prince

As the last Goblin moved the last packing case from the living room and vanished, Petunia picked up the phone to do the last thing she would ever do in number four Privet Drive, having dialled the number Harry had given her she listened to the tone of the numbers as they were tapped into the phone then waited for some one to answer the ringing phone on the other end. While she waited she decided she would add just a little to the simple 'Harry says goodbye' message that Harry had asked her to pass on, she would add just a little of the truth.

"Hello, Granger residence can I help you?" sounded a young female voice in her ear dragging her from her thoughts.

"Could I speak to Hermione please?" Petunia asked hoping she did not sound as hate filled and angry toward the girl as she felt.

"Yes this is Hermione speaking!" came the soft reply.

"Are you the evil bitch who broke Harry's heart, the one who hates him without reason? That's a cruel way to treat someone who loves you, what kind of cow are you? At least I have an excuse of sorts being cursed into being hateful, what excuse do you have for purposely setting out to be hateful and hurt someone you owe your life to. I don't know how you can live with your self you evil bitch. Well never mind that doesn't matter now you already did the damage. He asked me to tell you he waited as long as he could, but as you couldn't even bother to show up he says goodbye and that he hoped he might never meet you again, even if he gets lucky and lives long enough." Petunia said starting to cry again.

"Who are you? Where is Harry?" Hermione demanded, suddenly sounding desperate.

"I- I- I'm his aunt, the one that Dumbledore put curses on, that's who I am. The aunt that was made to hate her sister's child by one of your leaders that's who I am!" Petunia shouted back down the phone then she slammed the phone in to its cradle and after picking up her coat she took one last look around the house that held such evil memories and headed for the door.

Hermione stood holding the phone, she could hardly believe what she had heard. The way she had treated Harry must have really made him hate her and been far worse than she had thought for some reason, if even Harry's hated aunt thought what she had done was so evil. Tears flooded down her face once again as she thought of all she had thrown away. Tonks who was there with her as a guard wrapped Hermione in a tight hug as the younger woman told of her treatment of the boy she had come to know she could never stop loving. Tonks comment to the crying girl "It's not like you to hurt Harry," made both of them stop to think why Hermione had suddenly changed, why her personality was different over the past ten months.

Closing the front door of number four for the last time Petunia Dursley headed for her car. She was stopped in her tracks when two women appeared out of the air with a loud popping noise. Hermione Granger and Nymphadora Tonks appeared between the hedge and the cherry trees to the left of the house. They both stepped out in front of the car and stared at the tear stained face of Petunia. Hermione demanded to know where Harry was while Tonks seeing Mundungus was missing again checked the house.

Tonks report that the house was totally bare and empty surprised Hermione, who once again asked where Harry was but added a more hopeful and polite attitude to the question.

"Why on earth would I tell a cow like you? I did as Harry asked, he never said to tell you anything more, besides haven't you hurt him enough? He doesn't want to see you ever again." Petunia answered climbing in to her car and closing the door.

Hermione not happy with the answer she got quickly opened the passenger door and sat in the car next to a spluttering Petunia, Tonks following Hermione's lead took a seat in the back, neither of them intended moving until they found out where Harry Potter was.

Petunia had a long drive ahead of her if she took them to Harry and she was not a very good driver. She only drove when there was no one else to drive. On top of that she was still feeling disgusted with herself over Harry's past and kept breaking out in tears. She also still had the new house to prepare for her family when they returned from dropping Harry off. Looking at her two uninvited passengers she shrugged her shoulders, she had no real fight left in her, what Dumbledore had done to her and her family made her almost physically ill. She knew that the women in her car had ways of getting her thoughts from her, even if she tried to stop them so she felt truly defeated. Slowly she pulled a note pad from her pocket and passed it to Hermione, "Don't damage it please, thanks to your glorious leader its all I may have to remember Harry by if he ends up dead."

Hermione opened the notebook that had 'Harry James Potter' written on the front cover in red biro, turning it to the light she began to read.

'_Harry James Potter'_

_Why???????????_

_On returning home from Hogwarts I found a broken hearted family. Within seconds of walking through the door I found myself buried in the first hug I ever remember from my aunt Petunia. This was the first time she had ever touched me other than to hit me. My uncle Vernon sat in his chair not even daring to look at me as he repeatedly apologised for the way they had treated me over the years. Needless to say I was shocked at such treatment, even Dudley offered to cook me a meal as a small way of apologising._

_I have since discovered that they had hated me until just a day or two before I arrived home. When I questioned them I quickly discovered that their hate for me vanished without a trace just a matter of minutes after Dumbledore fell from the tower. Further questions led to discovering that prior to my parents' deaths the Dursleys had been regular visitors to my parental home, apparently Petunia doted on me and Dudley and spent many happy days playing with us both in what she called the magic valley._

_Adding to the difference in my family is the way I myself feel really different than I did just a couple of weeks ago, I can read faster, write quicker and neater, I can think clearer, and I know I feel more intelligent like my mind has been opened up, there has also been a rather drastic change to the feel of my magic, I can feel that my power has increased by leaps and bounds._

_Even Dudley has been affected in a good way, he is no longer the thick guy he was last time I was home, though neither of us did to well at school we can now hold an intelligent conversation, Dudley no longer sits thinking for ten minutes before saying 'duh', he is actually quite a likable guy with all the thick as a brick and bullying attitude gone._

_My conclusion, the only one I could logically come to is 'Dumbledore'. For some reason he had placed curses and spells on my Aunt, Uncle, and cousin. He had also placed some sort of spells and charms on me, spells that repressed or suppressed my capabilities along with some sort of spell that restricted my magical core, spells that ended when he died. Why? That is the question I keep asking myself, what did he hope to gain from it? Why all the deceit and cruelty? Did he want me dead?_

_Does what Dumbledore did to me answer my questions about Hermione? I couldn't understand her attitude to that potion text book, when I know she herself has made some changes to how some potions are prepared. She also discovered several ways to make our transfigurations better. Was her entire change in attitude nothing to do with Ron, and how she felt about him in previous years. I mean they went at each other as though they hated each other, why did that change?_

_I wish I could get my hands around that old gits throat and wring the truth from him._

_Questions to look into…_

_1, Why was Sirius my godfather made to hand me over to Hagrid that night, leading to him being locked away without a trial? Why was there no trial when Dumbledore was the chief Judge and able to order a trial?_

_2, Remus! why was he prevented from visiting me as I grew up?_

_3, The so called Philosophers stone, was it real or was Dumbledore trying to get rid of me or something? I realise now that his statement as to why Quirrell was unable to get the stone from the mirror was false, 'only someone who wanted to get the stone but not use it could get it' he told me but now I think about it Quirrell wanted it and yet he had no intention of using it him self, if it was the real stone and what Dumbledore said was true Quirrell would have been able to get it, then he would have simply handed it to Voldemort who was the one who actually wanted to use it._

_4, Why did Dumb-balls not know about the Riddle diary, the first so called horcrux? Surely there must be some way to monitor when such a dark evil object enters the school if only for the safety of the students. Or did he know? Then there are the portraits, I now know that they report to the headmaster if they see anything amiss in the corridors, why did they not report the basilisk, after all the darn thing was over sixty feet long they couldn't miss seeing the damn thing?_

_5, Fourth year Dumbles must have known that Moody was an imposter, they were supposed to be very old friends, I'd soon know if some one posed as Ron or even Nev, so did Dumble allow the death eater in the hope he might do the job of killing me for him or did he have some deeper motive?_

_6, The Triwizard cup, there has to have been more protection required than just an age line around the thing, because as Dumb-prat himself pointed out I could have asked a seventh year to put my name in, if that were the case then so could any other student. I have also discovered that just as in the Muggle world contracts, for magical contracts to be legal they require the signature and not just the name of the wizard, or just about anyone could do what ever they wanted. If what the old fake said were true I could make a marriage contract for me and Hermione, she'd be married to me without her knowing. Why would the cup allow a non-existent school to enter even if it was confunded? though I now wonder how do you confuse something that does not and can not think? Why was I still forced to compete, what did the nut hope to gain? Dumbo could have refused to allow it, or they could have turned the tasks into three hands of cards or something, then chosen the three champions again and restarted the whole thing without using the goblet of fire?_

_5, Why did it take the order so long to arrive at the department of mysteries when I told Snape well before we actually left Hogwarts to fly there, the journey took us at least three hours and yet the order did not show up until well over an hour or more after we did? How come it took them almost four and a half hours to get the message and arrive?_

_6, Why have I never received any gifts or birthday cards from all those witches and wizards who thought of me as their saviour? Why did I never receive any mail at all before my eleventh birthday, why did Dumb-nuts try to prevent my former friends from writing to me when Sirius died, why would he stop them offering their comfort and encouragement to me when I needed it the most?_

_7, Where does McGonagall fit in all this, she said herself she watched the Dursleys all day before Dumbdraws dropped me off, how did she know that Voldemort would strike that night and kill my parents, and that I would be taken by Hagrid to my aunts straight from Godrics Hollow?_

_8, The million galleon question, Horcruxes! Are they real or just another of Dumb heads fantasies like that dumb prophecy? I have been unable to find anything about them in any of the books I've checked, even the Black library has nothing about them, Remus has never heard of them, plus the locket Dumb one had me help with was just an ordinary locket with a very convenient note in it, I mean if someone wanted to gloat by leaving a note saying what they had done, wouldn't they sign it with their name so moldysocks would know who stitched him up? _

_From all my research I have gathered that a soul is __metaphysical, non-corporeal, it can't be seen or touched or found, it can't die or be damaged or destroyed._ _Was it just another attempt to get rid of me, did I foil his attempt by being able to Apparate us both back to Hogsmeade? Was the stuff in that dish really poison? When we got to Hogsmeade he did make a very sudden and remarkable recovery when we saw the dark mark over the castle. Why did he immobilise me on that tower, was it to stop me getting away from those death eaters? What would have happened if Snape had not killed him, would I still be alive? Did he petrify me so he could push me from the tower or was there something I saw that day that I was not supposed to see?_

_9, Is the prophecy a real one, or have both Voldemort and I been fooled? Was it me that got rid of him that Halloween or was it my mother? it seems more likely to me now that I think about it that it was mum who finished Voldysocks, because when the Dementors are about and making me relive that night, I only ever remember the one green flash of light, surely there would have been two flashes if Riddle had killed mum first then tried to kill me!_

_Is there anyone left that I can trust, I obviously can't trust any of my former jailers. The Weasleys are out because there may be a question of Ginny and a love potion. Lupin is out because he always took Dumbledore's attitude of keeping me a prisoner was for the best. Hermione is out because she deserted me, left me on my own, called me a cheat and wants to be with the Weasle, but then something about that just doesn't seem right. I wonder did she find out that Horcruxes don't exist and get her self hexed by Dumbles for doing so? Or now that I really think about it, if as I suspect Ginny used a potion on me, was one used on Hermione? God I miss her._

_That just leaves aunt Petunia, uncle Vernon, and Dudley, and of course Luna, Lisa, Mandy, and Neville for me to trust. Dear Luna the girl they all call loony, the girl who has never wanted anything but simple friendship from me, the one girl in my life who has been faithful and loyal all the time I've known her, it would have been so much simpler if I had fallen in love with her instead of Granger, then there is Nev, he's not that good with a wand but the guy has proved to me how brave he is, he is also a loyal and trusted friend. _

_I have some questions to find answers to quickly, like why did Hermione Granger hate me so much so quickly? What did I do that was so wrong, was it because of the fight at the ministry, and if it was why did she forget I tried to make her stay behind, did she really hate me at all?. Why did I suddenly find Ginny Weasley so desirable after knowing her for so long? I didn't fancy her a few days before school while we were at Grimmauld place, was it down to potions? _

_Why was Hermione throwing herself at Ron like a cheap tart in a bad movie, is it because of potions? Or is she really just a cheap nasty tart, with her attitude this past year I am beginning to wonder. Still these questions I will have to think about when and if I survive my next meeting with Voldemort, If I even bother to have a next meeting. What would Hermione say if I told her how I have felt about her for so long? How I have felt since before the Yule Ball._

_10, My final questions for now. What was Dumbnut's after, was it my money, my possessions, or did he just want me to die while killing Voldemort so he could step in and get the fame and glory._

_Why is it the wizarding world thinks everything is always down to me to solve? Should I just leave them to sort their world out on their own, they never did anything for me did they? Seems quite a simple choice now, if Riddle leaves me and my chosen friends and family alone he can do what the hell he wants with the rest of them, I have no reason to care._

Hermione closed the note book with anger showing on her face, anger about the way she and everyone else he knew and trusted had betrayed a man who was always so loving and loyal. A man they may have started down the road to darkness, her anger at Dumbledore was so strong that the car began to shake rather violently. Tonks placed her hand on Hermione's shoulder telling her she needed to calm down before something they would regret happened. Taking several deep breaths Hermione looked straight into Petunia's eyes "Will you take me to him please? I know you know where he is," she asked now shedding a tear, her anger at herself and everyone else involved just barely under control.

Petunia looked at the young woman sitting uninvited in her car, she could recognise the look and passion in her eyes, she had seen the same look in Lily's eyes but still she was not sure what to do. "You hurt Harry very badly, you and your boyfriend Ron. Harry just spent most of the past week staring out of the window and asking over and over if we had seen you, I don't think he needs that sort of distraction now he has decided to do 'what he wants to do, and not what your world expects him to do'."

"If you won't do this for me then please do it for Harry, he needs to know something," Hermione said almost begging.

"And what is it he needs to know, have you found out some thing that will help him? Some thing to keep him safe and alive?" Petunia asked quietly.

"He… he needs to know I love him," Hermione said openly admitting her love for Harry for the first time. "I need him to know I love him."

Petunia stared hard at the young woman as tears sparkled on her cheeks, she watched her for what seemed a long time before she made up her mind, "Buckle up then, I'm not too good at this driving and it's a long drive," she said after taking a deep breath and praying that she was doing the right thing.

During their journey Petunia explained about the curses that Dumbledore had placed on her family, and how they had caused their horrific behaviour toward Harry. Tonks was furious and swore to mount a full investigation of all of Dumbledore's actions, but what good it would do now the old man was dead she did not know.

"I can't imagine how bad that boy's life has been, hated and kept prisoner against his will for all these years. I'm truly surprised he hasn't turned into some sort of criminal. A young lad like Harry needs some freedom in the evenings, freedom to go out, go to the cinema, go to a dance, maybe meet a nice girl and go to a club with her, keeping him under lock and key with a guard to make sure he never escapes is a truly cruel way to be to him, I hope some day he will be able to forgive me and Vernon for our part in the cruelty, and you lot, I think you will very soon find out it's too late for asking his forgiveness." Petunia said as they drove down the motorway.

Hermione mumbled about finding a way to prove to Harry how sorry she was for how she had treated him all year, she knew that there was a chance that Dumbledore might still be alive if she had helped him when he asked, she also knew he might hold what she had done against her, and he might never forgive her for calling him those names and for not trusting him.

"Harry was so looking forward to you turning up, why didn't you, couldn't you have sent him a note or phoned or something?" Petunia asked when Hermione stopped mumbling.

"That would be our fault," Tonks admitted a little sheepishly. "We made them stay away; we were just carrying out Dumbledore's plan to keep Harry safe, that is until you phoned. Now I feel like a criminal myself, I've taken part in kidnapping Harry and keeping him imprisoned against his will. As a law officer I should have seen how wrong it was to treat him like that, I just wanted to help keep him safe…"

Petunia huffed "Yeah, fine job you lot did, I have a young nephew who has to face the most evil monster since god knows when, with no training or experience of life at all. He's likely to die without ever having known any love in his life, he doesn't know what it is like to be free, to run around and play.

He's a boy who I've seen give his love freely and never get any given back, he has been left, manipulated, deserted, or mistreated by those he has loved all his life. You better pray really, really hard he forgives this one," she said pointing at Hermione "because if he doesn't, if she can't convince him she loves him then I believe you can kiss your way of life goodbye, and say hello to your new boss Voldalard or what ever his name is."

Tonks looked horrified and stared wide eyed at Petunia "What, er what exactly do you mean by that little statement?" she asked.

Petunia huffed again and gave a small shake of her head, "You people really are even more pathetically stupid than I would have thought possible, do you know that. Every thing he has done was always to save her, to keep her safe, the rest of you have done nothing but take from him all that should be his by right as a human being.

You took his parents, an aunt and uncle that loved him until you lot came along with your hate spells, you took away his childhood and his freedom, you took away his freedom of choice and gave nothing back, and she took his trust and love and gave him hate and a broken heart. All of you spent half your time ridiculing him and calling him a liar.

For some reason that's beyond me, he still loves her, to save her he would face your evil wizard and kill him, but now he thinks she loves someone else and has turned against him, and hates him for some unknown reason.

If you want it any clearer, there is absolutely nothing for him in your world, nothing to fight for, nothing to live in your world for, you have nothing he wants, and nobody he feels is worthy of his help'. He will simply leave you all to your fate, he'll leave it to you to sort out evil wizards your selves, that's why he sent a copy of that note book to Voldelump."

Hermione didn't want to believe Petunia but she knew that she was right, the wizarding world had done nothing good for Harry, in fact they did nothing but harm him in one way or another, he had been a prisoner longer than Sirius had been, he had spent his whole life as a prisoner and a target to hate.

Petunia added one more thing to their worries "For the life of me after what you did I don't see how you can convince him you really love him, If I was in his shoes I would just see you as trying to fool him into saving your evil bigoted little world before you desert him for the Weasle boy again."

More tears ran down Hermione's cheeks as she remembered how hard it was for Harry to give his trust, and how he hardly ever even partially forgave those who broke that trust, and she had done a good job in the department of breaking his trust in her. She prayed she could get the chance to prove to him that she truly did love him and that there would never be anyone else.

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	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer, I don't own Harry Potter or any of his friend's, wish I did, then I would write another book with a better end.

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A/Note Did any one notice one of the first big plot holes in the Potter tales. I keep wondering about this one. On the first train ride to Hogwarts during their first meeting Hermione tells the boys she had tried a few of the simple spells over the summer, then in the second book poor old Harry gets in trouble for a spell cast at number four. The underage magic thing continues through the stories. Now I find that odd Hermione doesn't seem to come under the same law, or was it just another rather large error where JKR forgot what she had written in the first book.

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Not The Half Blood Prince

Vernon drove the car carefully along the small and narrow Welsh country lane and announced that Godrics Hollow farm was just over the next hill. Godrics Hollow farm was set in a small valley that was by the nature of the hills and mountains surrounding it, hidden away just outside the Snowdonia area. Vernon had pulled the car to a halt at the top of a steep climb to the brow of a hill; they all stepped out and looked down on the picturesque little valley about 100 feet below them. The damaged farm house known as Potters cottage sat right in the middle of the flat bottom of the valley, a small stream running along side the garden boundary wound its way across the valley virtually cutting it into two even parts. On the other side of the garden, well away from the stream there was a small family grave yard, fenced in by an old rickety fence.

"I thought it was a small village… Godrics Hollow I mean," Harry said as he stood between his uncle and cousin looking down on the scene.

"No, no… Godrics Hollow farm is the name given to this valley by some guy called Griffin or something. I can't remember exactly what your dad said about him. The village is over there over the other side of the hill past the lake, Godrics Hollow village took its name from the valley and farm long before it became known as Potter Cottage," Vernon said as they surveyed the valley once again.

A few minutes later they climbed back into the car, and Vernon drove slowly down the steep and narrow lane that eventually lead across the valley to the damaged farm house with all its out buildings. The flat part of the valley was around five hundred yards wide on each side of the stream; the length of the valley was slightly larger.

Starting twenty or thirty feet from the bottom of the small mountain on the left hand side of the valley was a wood made up of indigenous trees that covered the hillside for several hundred feet, and rose up the hill for two hundred feet. The lush grass in the bottom of the valley grew deep and strong untouched for the past sixteen years, birds flitted in and out of the barn and wood shed. At the south west corner of the valley the stream meandered into a small lake that fed another stream winding its way through Godrics Hollow village to the hills and into the next valley.

Uncle Vernon parked the car alongside the house on the opposite side to the roadway, while Vernon and Harry began to unload things from the car; Dudley went in search of some where to take a leak. After trying the door to the house several times and being unable to enter the building he headed off for the back of the barn.

Standing outside the house Harry took a look at the damaged wall above the doorway before he stepped forward to open the door, as he turned the door handle he prayed that the whole place did not come crashing down on top of him, he had never seen any place that could be quite so damaged and yet remain standing. As the door swung open Harry stepped into the house, he had to remove his glasses and wipe them before he could accept what he was seeing, the inside of the house was immaculate, there was not a spec of dust or a single trace of any damage what so ever, "I will never get used to what magic can do," he whispered before he called to his uncle.

Dudley had arrived back in time to see Harry approach the door and he had called out that the door was locked; Harry meanwhile had grabbed the door handle and after a tiny flash of light the door opened and Harry had stepped inside.

"Uncle Vernon! Dudley! Come look at this," Harry's surprised voice called from inside the house.

Vernon was standing back and trying to work out how much money it might cost to have a wall replaced along with a new roof and all the other repairs that were obviously needed. The damage looked far more serious than he had expected and he was beginning to wonder if it might not be a better idea to set up some where for Harry to sleep in the barn. He was about to announce his verdict when he heard Harry call from inside. Followed by Dudley, Vernon walked in to the house and gasped, Dudley standing beside him just stared around at what he saw.

As Vernon and Dudley entered the house far more amazed than Harry had been, they heard a small pop sound just behind them, two house elves had appeared and seemed ready to fight the intruders, while Dudley backed up to stand with Harry, Vernon turned around and looked down at the two small figures.

"Tippy, is that you?" Vernon asked a look of pleasure plastered over his face.

The two elves seemed to relax a little when Vernon spoke, the tallest one answered his question, "Tippy is not well, she is our mother and she is hidden in the woodshed."

Harry spoke up as soon as the elf finished speaking, "You, the one who just spoke go fetch Tippy into the house, and you little one go prepare a bed for her."

The two elves only hesitated for a second before setting about doing as Harry told them, five minutes later Tippy was warmly wrapped up in bed in one of the bedrooms upstairs, the two young elves then set about preparing two of the five remaining bedrooms ready for use.

Tippy it seemed was suffering from magical starvation, she had used up almost her entire magical core repairing and keeping the farm in good condition for sixteen years, as well as keeping up the illusion that the house was damaged. She and several other things in the house got a much needed magical boost from the residual magic that constantly escaped from him when Harry had arrived. While Vernon prepared them all some supper, helped by Dudley, Harry sat in the bedroom holding Tippy's hand as she told him she was the last of the Potter family elves apart from her two young ones who were born just after the master and mistress died. When Harry expressed his beliefs in not owning house elves Tippy told him she was not a slave, she proudly declared that she was a Potter, accepted into the family by Mistress Lily. Her two sons were also Potters and were part of the family that was why they had been ready to fight to protect the home until they saw who they thought was Master James had come home.

With Harry holding her hand Tippy slowly began to recover a little, Harry figured it would take months for her to fully regain her magical strength; all he had to do was to figure out some way to keep her in close proximity with someone magical.

As soon as Tippy had fallen asleep Harry made his way down stairs and found his uncle and cousin sitting having some food in the kitchen. Dudley filled a plate for Harry before asking how the odd little creature was doing.

To Harry's utter amazement Vernon explained to Dudley what and who Tippy was, he told them some tales about the fun they used to have with her, she was Harry's first elf nanny "And a right bloody good one she was, those bloomin marauders had almost turned Tippy into one of them," declared Vernon as he drained the tea from his mug.

Harry was still feeling confused slightly about the twist his life had taken over the past week, but never the less he was truly enjoying listening as Vernon told him true tales of life in Godrics Hollow, it helped Harry knowing that the stories Vernon told were real, about his real parents and not about some mythical couple that had been invented simply to keep him entertained when he got curious, as he listened Harry felt that he had a family at last.

Vernon sat on his chair and began to chuckle to him self while the two boys stared at him and wondered if he were ok. Realising they were staring at him Vernon rose from his seat, "Come on boys I want to show you some thing," he said as he led them out side.

Standing at the barn door Vernon proudly displayed where he had carved his and Petunia's name inside a heart, "That little carving got me a scar on my left butt cheek," Vernon said chuckling, "made me realise where the saying a pain in the arse came from."

Both Harry and Dudley looked totally confused as to why; it was Dudley who had to ask as his curiosity got the better of him. Vernon's face went slightly red as he looked about as though looking for eavesdroppers.

"Well it was before we all got married, I had just finished carving this," he said pointing at the heart "When Petunia and Lily came out of the house and caught me red handed, in my rush to hide the knife and not be accused of vandalism I dropped it then shoved the knife away from me with my foot, any way Petunia was rather pleased about the carving and kissed me, Lily blushed then hurried back into the house and left us alone. Well one kiss led to another etc, just as we were getting carried away Petunia shoved me down into the straw and hay, guess what I managed to sit on?

The size of this bloody barn floor and I managed to find my tiny pen knife with my left butt cheek, my butt hurt like blazes and after hopping about screaming blue murder for a few seconds everyone in the house came out to see what the problem was, I had the entire family laughing about the little pen knife sticking out of my butt, but that wasn't half as embarrassing as when my mother in law to be, Mrs Potter, had me bent over a chair in the kitchen with my bared butt sticking up so she could remove the pen knife and clean up the wound.

Your grandfather Harry, he wanted to have the carving cut out of the door and framed, kept threatening to place it over the fire place along with a picture of my butt, we had some really good times back then, and believe it or not I was the 'butt' of their jokes for a month after." Vernon said smiling then suddenly he went very quiet. The boys both knew why and said nothing more for a while as the older man reminisced and once again remembered how he had been forced to treat his nephew.

As they were walking back to the house Harry could feel the slight drain on his magical core that the house was feeding from, he knew he could increase the build up of magic for use by the house and the elves by performing several powerful spells but he also knew if he did that he would definitely bring unwanted attention to the farm that every one in the magical world thought was deserted, so he decided he would need someone else magical with them at the farm. As they entered the house Harry called out "Dobby," even though he was not sure if the elf would hear him.

Seconds later one over eager house elf appeared just behind Harry and threw himself at Harry's legs and hugged them tight, "What can Dobby do for the great Harry Potter sir," he asked his huge eyes staring up at Harry with a look of adoration.

"Hello Dobby are you still working at Hogwarts?" Harry asked the excited elf.

"No master Harry Potter sir, Dobby do be not working until school is open," Dobby said his head drooping.

"Well how would you like to live here with me, not as a slave but as a Potter?" Harry asked.

Dobby's eyes grew wider than Harry had ever seen them as he stared at Harry for several silent seconds, "Harry Potter sir wants Dobby in his family? Harry Potter sir is the greatest wizard, Dobby is not worthy but Dobby would work very hard for Harry Potter sirs' family."

Once Dobby was accepted by Harry as a member of the Potter family a small white light joined them together for a second, Harry then asked Dobby if he could look after Tippy who was also a Potter, he then introduced Tippy and her two sons. Dobby was looking a little unhappy as he began to tidy around in Tippy's bedroom, his ears hung limply the sure sign he was unhappy.

"Okay Dobby what's wrong my little friend?" Harry asked kneeling to be on eye level with the elf.

"Dobby is a bad elf Harry Potter sir, Dobby did forget his friend Winky when he was so happy," Dobby said wringing his hands.

"Dobby why don't you call Winky, and see if she would like to join the Potter family?" Harry said grinning at his little friend.

Winky having arrived and eagerly accepted the membership into the Potter family, took over the kitchen, informing the three men that she would take charge of the house and kitchen until Tippy was well enough to resume her usual job of head elf. Harry explained to the two eager elves that for now they were to do things the muggle way, so they could keep the fact they were at the farm secret, but Dobby pointed out that the wizards could not detect elf magic unless the elf wanted them too.

Harry stood in the living room looking at a rather large muggle photograph that was placed on the right hand side of the mantle piece. The photo had obviously been taken outside, close to the barn. In the photo were his grandparents, his mum and dad, Petunia and Vernon, and playing together in front of the happy grinning group of adults were two young babies, who looked to be around year old.

Harry allowed a tear to escape as he looked at the proof of what his Aunt and Uncle had told him, here right in front of him he had a picture of a really happy family. He cursed and damned the soul of Albus Dumbledore for each year of happiness he had stolen from their lives.

Vernon asked if the two boys fancied taking a walk down to the lake before he and Dudley set off for their new home, both boys having finished dinner and been shooed out of the kitchen into the living room by Winky while she cleaned up their mess, happily agreed to the walk.

Harry agreed because after sixteen years of trying to gain acceptance by his only living family he was revelling in being with the real, free of charms Dursleys, and not some spell induced monsters.

Dudley agreed because he was beginning to enjoy having a magical cousin he no longer thought a freak, he was hoping that eventually he and Harry could become almost as close as brothers, just how it should have been, though he realised it would take quite some time, he was willing to work at it.

Together they set off for a walk following the stream. Dudley pointed out just how picturesque the valley was with the sun going down over the nearby mountains, both Vernon and Harry agreed and they began to make some plans for the Dursleys to spend their next summer holiday with Harry here at the hollow. Vernon was telling the younger men all about how good the fishing used to be, he pointed out the favourite spots that he and James like to fish from. Telling tales of some of the competitions they had had together, he admitted that James was a better fisherman than himself or Harry's grandfather.

As darkness began to fall the three men walked back to the house, a rather comfortable silence fell on them as they each sank into their own thoughts. One thought that Harry had was that this level of comfort while being with another person, had only ever happened when he was with Hermione.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer, I don't own Harry Potter or any of his friend's, wish I did, then I would write another book with a different end.

Not The Half Blood Prince

The sun had just gone down and the small valley was almost completely in darkness when Petunia finally parked her car next to Vernon's car, the three women walked around the damaged house calling out for Harry or Vernon for a while before they took a seat on a small bench sitting out near the back door as they wondered where the men were.

Seconds after they had sat down Dobby appeared, once he determined who the three women were he refused to open the door to the house for them, he was a Potter now and he would not let the bad ladies into the master's house.

When Hermione asked him why? Dobby looked at her as though she had finally gone mad.

"Mrs Aunty is nasty and cruel to Harry Potter sir; Dobby did see the iron bars on Harry Potter sirs' bedroom window. Mrs change face is evil and keeps Harry Potter sir locked in dark wizards house, and Miss Her-min-nee do be hating Harry Potter sir, Dobby was seeing you hurting Harry Potter sir at Hogwarts, Dobby mustn't let bad witches into Harry Potter sirs' house," Dobby told them sounding as though he were angry and ready to attack them all.

Dobby then vanished leaving three very silent and remorseful women sitting in the garden remembering how they had each treated the wizard they all loved in some way; the little elf had not been gone long when they heard the sound of voices on the other side of the house, all three women rushed around the garden to the front of the house to arrive just as Harry opened the front door.

"Harry dear, I- er- I- I brought you some guests… they said they needed to talk to you," Petunia said sounding really nervous.

The three men turned to look at the new arrivals; Harry invited Petunia to join Vernon and Dudley inside while he stayed out side to talk with Hermione and Tonks. Petunia simply nodded and went into the house with her two men.

Harry looked at the two remaining women with an icy stare, "Well, well, well what have we here, one of my jailers and with a new assistant, what's up Tonks, one bitch to keep the pup in his place not enough these days?" Harry spat out "I don't know why you are here but you can piss off, and tell your friends at the order that Harry Potter is going to be after them for some revenge against the bastards that ruined my life, now get off my land before I start taking my revenge out on you first, and take her with you, what happened Granger did Weasley throw you out once he got your knickers off and had what he wanted, didn't he want you anymore, so you thought you would try little old soft hearted Potter as a last resort?"

Hermione could not speak for crying as his every word stung her heart, and soul, she truly had turned him against her, she was now sure she had killed any love he may have ever had. The gentle loving boy she had known seemed to have been replaced by a young man full of hate and out for revenge.

Tonks answered him with tears running down her cheeks. "Harry I don't really know what to say, I deserve your hate for what I helped to do to you, I'm not surprised you want revenge, but Hermione doesn't deserve this, she loves you and if I hadn't done as the order told me she would have joined you days ago. She's been a prisoner in her own house, just like you were. Kept there for her own so called safety by the order, don't let the order destroy how you feel about each other as well as all the other hurt they have done. Talk to her, listen to what she has to say, your aunt listened and thought it worth bringing her here to you, please Harry."

Harry could feel his heart twisting with every word he spoke as he watched Hermione flinch at them as he spat them out, but after seeing the photo's in the living room he was angry, he was angry at himself for still wanting her, for loving her after the way she treated him, he was angry because he still wanted her to love him, angry at the order for destroying his life, and he was angry at Dumbledore for destroying their world. Tonks words did little to calm him down, why should he believe someone who is his enemy, who helped to keep him a prisoner, he was just about to voice this thought when the door opened and the Dursleys walked out of the house.

Vernon and Dudley approached him first and shook his hand telling him they were going to sort out their new home, Dudley gave him a quick one armed hug before the two men said their goodbye, they were leaving for their new home and promised to see him soon. As Vernon and Dudley climbed into the car Petunia pulled him into a tight hug before she kissed him on his forehead.

"Let her stay Harry, listen to what she tells you, you forgave us for things, far, far worse things, give her a chance to explain. I'm going to leave my car here for you, no doubt you can find someone to teach you to drive, the keys are on the kitchen table and Vernon is going to renew the insurance when it is due, we'll see you next month don't forget you and Dudley have a fishing match according to Vernon, that I have to see, my two boys fishing, anyway be careful Harry, bye," Petunia said as she hugged him tight one more time and kissed him on his cheek, before she joined her two men in the car.

A few waves later and after watching the rear lights of the car vanish down the Valley, Harry was left standing looking at two crying women, the parting words from his aunt made him decide to give them both a chance to explain, and his aunt calling him one of her boys had warmed him inside in a way he had never known before, like he suddenly belonged with his family. Once again he no longer felt so totally alone in the world and he thought he owed his aunt at least this one favour, because of him and Dumbledore she would spend the rest of her life feeling guilty for something she could have done nothing about, he would listen first, then he would decide to send them home, it seemed a simple solution.

Harry rather reluctantly led the two women into his house, he was not to happy with them knowing where he was, but he showed them into the kitchen and called for Dobby to make them a cup of tea, while without a word he left them standing in the kitchen, and went to see how Tippy was and to find out if she was feeling any better. Hopefully having three magical people and two elves in the house for a while was helping her recover a little quicker.

Hermione sat watching Dobby as he made the tea the muggle way just as Harry liked it, she could not resist asking him if he was being paid.

"Dobby is a Potter now, Dobby is no longer house elf," he told her proudly before going back to doing what Harry had asked.

The small distraction that Dobby had been for her soon vanished as she heard Harry coming down the stairs, she still had no idea how to put right all she had ruined, five years of beautiful friendship with the most loving person she had ever met was ended by her foolish actions and she felt like curling up and giving up.

Harry walked into the kitchen and sat on the opposite side of the table to where the two had chosen to sit, the two women looked up into his now cold green eyes.

"Tonks, could I have a word in private with Harry please?" Hermione asked quietly.

Tonks nodded and stood up and taking her tea with her walked back out of the door to stand just out side in the garden.

"Harry I wanted to ask you to forgive me, but after what Dobby said earlier and something your aunt said I realise I don't have the right to ask, so I simply want to tell you before you throw us out, 'I love you'. Everything I did before during this past year was because I fell in love with you, but I didn't have the courage to accept it and admit it. After what happened at the ministry and then when you told us about the prophecy I got scared and tried to distance my self from you so I wouldn't love you any more. After that I don't know why I got angry because you kept being there for me, not letting me stop loving you. I don't know why I did not trust you anymore, know it sounds stupid, it was stupid, because after all the pain I caused us both I still love you. I think I always will. Well that's it, I just wanted you to know how I feel. I'll get Tonks to take us back now," Hermione said as tears fell freely from her eyes.

Hermione stood to leave and pushed her chair back under the table "Bye Harry," she said quietly as she then walked to the door.

"You love me; you broke my heart throwing your self at Weasley like a cheap tart and you say you loved me?" Harry shouted at her as she reached the door. "Do you know how stupid that sounds?"

Hermione just nodded as she opened the door.

"So you're going to be even more stupid and run away again now you've told me, is that it? Are you still too scared to love me? Or are you off to throw your self at Weasley again and tell him Potter didn't like being second best?" he asked as he began to understand some of what she had been doing, he himself had tried to distance himself from his friends before and knew exactly what it could do to you and what it could cost you even though he had failed where she had succeeded, and with what she had said he thought it was probably with Bumbles Galore and his spells to help her.

Hermione stopped as she was about to step through the doorway, not quite sure what he was saying, what he meant by those words, she turned around to see him standing with his arms open wide waiting for her, she ran the few steps to be in his arms, to feel his warmth once again, and she cried as he kissed her hard and passionately, she kissed him back just as passionately with tears streaming down her face.

"What about Ron?" he asked as their lips parted.

It took a short time for Hermione to stop sobbing before she answered, "Ron didn't need anyone to keep him at the Burrow," she whispered still not quite believing he had kissed her.

"Pour us another cuppa while I nip and fetch Tonks back, after all I suppose I should hear what she has to say," Harry said with a small smile as he let her go having decided she might need a minute to gather herself after his shock tactics of kissing her to see how she reacted, her answer about Ron was not what he wanted but it would do for a few hours. He was a lot more pleased with her reaction to his kiss than he was ready to let on or admit too just yet.

Outside Tonks was wandering around the garden in the moonlight, "Hey you coming back in or have you decided to sleep in the barn?" Harry called to her.

Tonks heart soared with relief when she saw him smile at her, it wasn't a full blown smile but it was enough for her to know that they were not about to be slung out on their butts, she also knew it was her turn to do some explaining, at least it looked like Hermione had been forgiven or very close to it.

Back in the kitchen there were three fresh cups of tea set out on the table; Harry took a seat next to Hermione, while Tonks sat across the table from them. All three of them lifted their cups and took a sip as though the move was choreographed, Harry smiled and placing his cup on the table he looked directly at Tonks.

"I hope you can cook the Muggle way because it's your turn to cook breakfast in the morning, Hermione can cook you both some thing for supper before you go to bed. There is to be no magic performed at all by any of us, Tippy is keeping the house under her illusion as she has for the past sixteen years, I don't want any change in the magic level here that might be noticed by the ministry or Voldemort, or the other lot," he told them firmly. "Any slight increase in the ambient magic caused by us being here is being soaked up by Tippy who was almost dead when I arrived, she's been using her magic with no way to replenish it."

Both women nodded their understanding, Tonks thought the idea quite clever, she knew that no one in the Order would think to look for Harry in Godrics hollow, and if they all remembered not to use magic they should all be safe from any one else looking for them. She also knew it was time she explained herself and what she knew about the order.

Harry listened as Tonks told him why she had joined the order and how the decisions to keep Harry under constant surveillance were made by Dumbledore's top lieutenants, McGonagall, Mad eye, Snape, Lupin, and the Weasleys. As far as she knew the others like her, just did as they were asked in the firm belief that they were helping keep Harry safe. She also told him that she had heard rumours that a number of the professors at Hogwarts had complained several times each year about Harry's physical condition and about his clothing or more to the point the lack of decent clothing. They had asked he be placed with one of them until he was seventeen but Dumbledore had always turned them down. Though none of them knew why he acted the way he had.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer, I don't own Harry Potter or any of his friend's, wish I did, then I would write another book with a better end.

Not The Half Blood Prince

Hermione had never felt hurt like she was feeling, Harry's words out side along with Dobby's words had stung deeply in her heart, Dobby's words showed her just how bad she had behaved if even the elves at Hogwarts had noticed how much she was hurting their special hero.

Asking Tonks to let her have a private word with him she had no idea what she could say to him to let him know how sorry she was. So taking a deep breath she simply started to tell him how she truly felt for him. As he yelled back at her she prayed for the ground to open up and bury her, she could hear the pain in his voice as his words seemed to echo around inside her head. As she opened the door she truly thought her life was over, she would step out the door and never see him again. When she heard his words that made her turn to take a final look at him, and saw him standing with his arms wide open, for a few seconds her whole world seemed to have stopped, it took her just seconds longer for her body to take control and to cross the room and throw her self in to his waiting arms.

Then he was kissing her passionately, her first real kiss and it was Harry kissing her, her heart was pounding in her chest as feelings and sensations she had never felt before filled her entire being. She could not resist kissing him back with equal passion; she unconsciously pressed her body as close to him as she could, pressing the area between her legs hard onto his thigh. Her mind was a total blank, her actions taken over by passion and need. At that moment in time she would have done anything he wanted her to do, she almost screamed for him to take her where she was, she was so filled with love and joy.

She was still unable to think clearly when she poured the tea while Harry went out to fetch Tonks, she watched them talking her mind only half listening, the other half kept reliving the kiss. She noticed the silence and saw Harry and Tonks looking at her as though waiting for her to speak.

She opened her mouth and heard herself say "You kissed me!" she tried to think of something else to say but her mind was in a whirl. Her heart was still pounding in her chest, slowly as she began to calm down she realised Harry had started to forgive her. He had done more than just kiss her, he had woken up the women and all the desires of a woman in her, the woman who buried the girl and was ready to face anything with her man.

-----

After Tonks explanations about the order Harry fully understood her reasons and with her revelations about who made the decisions in the order he decided he could trust her to help him and not reveal his where about's. Hermione still needed to answer his question about Ron before he would allow him self to forgive her fully, and there was the trust thing to sort out as well. Yawning deeply he called Dobby to show the two women to their rooms, he then made his way to the master bedroom and lay down on the king size bed.

The physical and emotional drain he had been through in the past few days soon caught up with him and minutes after laying down to think he drifted off to sleep. Harry woke up to the smell of breakfast cooking, it took him just a second to realise how tired he must have been the night before, he found himself in the same spot he had been in when he lay down, he was still wearing his glasses and was still fully dressed he knew from his position he had slept without hardly moving at all so he must have been truly tired out. Forcing him self out of bed he opened his trunk chose some clean clothes to wear then made his way into the shower.

Down stairs Tonks had his breakfast ready when he arrived in the kitchen, while he was eating she asked if there were anywhere she could go to get some more food supplies as there was really only sufficient for one person. She also asked if she could use the car to get to the shop so she would not have to apparate. Harry agreed to her going to do the shopping as he finished his food, and gave her some written directions he had gotten from Vernon.

As Harry poured him self a second cup of tea Hermione came down and entered the kitchen. Harry threw the car keys to Tonks and asked her to pick up a daily paper for him while she was out, Tonks took his hint that he wanted to talk to Hermione, so after placing a plate of food on the table for her she left the house to go to the nearest local muggle village.

Harry sat in silence as he waited for Hermione to eat her breakfast, as she finished and sat back a little he cleared his throat. "You did not answer my question last night," he said quietly.

Hermione gave him the look that told him she did not know what he meant.

"I asked you about Ron, I need to know, do you love him, why were you throwing your self at him all year? I need to know what happened between you? All those times you spent at the Burrow with him were you… did you…? And why did you spend so much time there instead of with your own parents?" he almost whispered.

Hermione's insides turned cold as she heard his questions, he thought she had had sex with Ron, she could hear it in his voice, and in the questions he asked her. She had hoped after the night before and that wonderful kiss, that he had forgiven her for what she had said and done, and would not dwell on the past so they could move on with their lives. She knew that it had been silly to think he would not want to know more. She sat quietly for several minutes as she thought about how to say what she wanted to say without losing him. Deciding she really had nothing to hide she decided on the truth, all of it.

Harry sat and watched her trying to read what she was thinking by looking into those wonderful warm brown eyes, but he was not a patient man at the best of times, he liked to get things done not waste time thinking about things to deeply, and Hermione was taking much to long to answer.

"If you need to think up answers then you might as well not waste your breath, I'll get Tonks to take you to some point you can apparate from as soon as she gets back," he said decidedly as he got up to leave the kitchen.

"Harry please… this is difficult," she said as she realised she had spent too long thinking and analysing once again.

"What can be so difficult, I asked you simple questions that just needed simple answers, but like I said, if you have to think up answers then it's obvious to me that you are not going to tell the truth, I don't want to listen to lies or half truths, I've had enough of those to last me a life time," Harry said as he walked to the door.

"Harry please listen to me… I- I- I didn't want to fall in love with you, I didn't want my heart broken, I mean look at me Harry, I'm not pretty, I'm bossy, I'm a know it all, why would I want to fall in love with some one who could have his pick of the most beautiful girls at Hogwarts, or the whole magical world in fact, and get my heart broken while he chose someone pretty like Cho or Ginny, why would I ever think you could ever fall in love with a bushy haired plain Jane like me, all I thought I'm good for is helping you with your homework.

So I was stupid and thought Ron fancied me, I thought that at least with him I stood a chance. I chose Ron because I don't love him, I chose him because my heart would be safe, but choosing him didn't stop me being in love with you," she said as she looked at him with teary eyes. "And nothing has happened between Ron and I, the prat was too thick to notice what was in front of his nose. In fact I'm still a virgin and hope to stay that way till I get married, you were the first one who ever kissed me. As for why I went to the Burrow so much, well there was nothing for me at home, my parents spend nearly all their time working, if we don't go away somewhere for a holiday I spend all day every day on my own. If you want I am willing to swear a magical oath to prove I'm telling the truth to you."

Harry suppressed a smile as he heard the truth in her words, without turning to look at her he opened the door to the living room "Come upstairs with me," he said quietly as he walked from the room.

Hermione could hear something slightly different in his voice as he told her to follow him upstairs, her mind was in turmoil as she watched him walk from the kitchen. She wanted him more than she had ever wanted anything in her life but she never thought he would be like that, not with her, especially after she just told him she wants to wait till she is married.

Even as she stood to follow him she was panicking inside, for reasons she could not understand she could not resist following him as he climbed the stairs in front of her. By the time Harry was standing outside one of the bedroom doors she was shaking with fear, excitement and anticipation. Every thing seemed to be so surreal as he opened the door and indicated for her to enter.

He stood in the door way holding out his hand to her, her knees were feeling wobbly and her hands were shaking as she reached out and placed her hand in his, she wondered if he really wanted to take her to bed as she thought he did then why was she following him?

Slowly Harry pulled her in to the bedroom and toward the bed, Hermione her cheeks aflame had her eyes cast down as they neared the bed; she had not thought it would be like this, she had always thought it might be a little more romantic and on her wedding night. She asked her self if it was worth giving her self to him in that way, but before she had time to make a decision Harry spoke again.

"Hermione this is Tippy, Tippy this is Hermione," he said making Hermione's head snap up.

"Pleased to meet you miss," Tippy's weak voice said from the bed.

"Harry James Potter you evil prat, I thought you were… I mean… I…, you… you prat you," Hermione said as she thumped him playfully in his chest.

"Tippy used up nearly all her magical core looking after the house," Harry said grinning as he sat on the bed and took Tippy's tiny hand in his.

"Tippy is feeling much better today, Harry," Tippy said giving a small smile.

"I'm sorry we can't be of more help Tippy, but we have to refrain from doing magic in case someone detects it and comes here," Harry told the elf as he rubbed the back of her hand gently, the physical contact giving the elf a little more of the residual magic from him.

"Harry, if you want to practise your spells or anything else magical then go in the broom closet in the kitchen, push the centre coat hook to the left and lift it upward." Tippy said as Hermione sat down on the bed and held her other hand, copying Harry by rubbing the back of it.

After waiting for Tonks to return from her shopping trip Harry led the way into the kitchen broom closet, having pushed the coat hook as Tippy described all three of them were taken by surprise when the door to the kitchen closed and they felt the closet begin to descend rather quickly. One minute later the door opened to show a long dark corridor.

Harry stepped from the closet first, and as he moved forward along the corridor lights fitted into the ceiling came on, brightly illuminating the corridor. Having reached a door at the end of the corridor Harry tried to open it but nothing happened.

"Harry place your hand over this crest," Tonks said as she examined a small coat of arms on the wall to the left of the door.

Harry did as Tonks asked and then jumped back a little "Bloody hell, well I never expected that," he said as he blew gently onto his palm.

"What happened Harry? Is it hot?" Hermione asked looking worried.

"No the darn thing stabbed me," he replied still blowing at his hand.

"Try the door again Harry," Tonks urged him as she pulled him forward a little.

Harry reached down and tried the door again and felt no resistance as the door swung open, "What on earth?" he said as he stepped into another large brightly lit corridor.

"Family blood Harry, the place was sealed by a blood charm, so it needed a drop of your blood to open the door," Tonks announced with a smile.

Harry took a few steps into the corridor, this one was different to the last as it had four corridors branching off it, it also had several doors on both sides. It took them two hours to check out the underground mansion they had discovered, it had six floors and there were eight bedrooms and four bathrooms on four of the floors, the living room kitchen and study plus two on suite bedrooms were on the floor they entered first, the next floor down was dedicated to fitness and training, there was a gym and two separate duelling rooms as well as bathing sauna and shower facilities, the four lower floors were split up into eight bedrooms and four bathrooms to each floor.

The bottom floor had an extra door at the end of the long central corridor, when they opened it and stepped through they found themselves in a huge cavern, in the middle was a fairly large pool, Harry dipped his hand in the inviting clear water to feel just how cold an underground lake would be and was pleasantly surprised to find the water rather warm. Once they had finished looking around Harry could not help but wonder why his parents had not hidden down here where it appeared to be so safe, there were wards on the first floor ceiling preventing any magic from escaping. It was the perfect place for them to train in, and if needed, to hide in.

Harry, Hermione, and Tonks spent the rest of the day down in the underground mansion helping Dobby and Winky clean away the accumulated dust that had settled over the last sixteen years, it was just after seven in the evening when they all tiredly made their way back up to the cottage above them, half an hour later they were all sitting around the kitchen table enjoying their evening meal and talking. Harry suggested that Tonks and Hermione should invite their families to move in with them for security reasons. Much as Harry had begun to dislike and distrust the wizarding world he could not ignore the fact that even if he did nothing, and stayed away from the magical world, Voldemort would still be trying to find a way of getting to him. He was in no doubt that Voldemort would soon start capturing and murdering those people he thought were close to Harry Potter.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer, I don't own Harry Potter or any of his friend's, wish I did, then I would write another book with a better end.

Not The Half Blood Prince

Hermione had been lying in bed trying to figure out why she had followed Harry to that bedroom earlier, even while she was thinking they were going to have sex; she had been convinced that was what he wanted even after she told him she wanted to wait till she was married, but she had still willingly followed him. It took her a while to admit that it was her self who had wanted to have sex with him. She remembered almost asking him to take her while he kissed her. She also realised that if he had wanted sex with her she would have been more than willing to give her body to him without hesitation. She also knew she would have had no regrets about it even if they did not last as a couple. She found sleep hard to find as she kept reliving all that had happened since she had admitted to herself that she loved him, she also kept thinking about the kiss they had shared. She also kept repeating a thank you to who ever was in control of the universe. It looked like Harry had forgiven all she had done to him. She found herself eager for more breath taking kisses from the man she was in love with.

It took Harry almost a week and a half before he kissed Hermione again; he still found he was having some trouble with how Hermione had been acting with Ron. Both Tonks and Hermione could sense that he was uncomfortable about something. It was Tonks who was the one to broach the problem one afternoon after giving him a duelling lesson.

"Harry can we talk?" she asked as they both wiped away the sweat caused by the vigorous exercise.

"Harry wrapped his towel around his neck and took a seat on the duelling mat "So what's on your mind?" he asked as he conjured a cool glass of water.

"I want to talk to you about what's troubling you, I'm not sure but I get the impression it's something to do with Hermione. If you are just leading her on to get some revenge I think you should stop it and tell the poor girl. I've seen her crying her self to sleep more than once this week. She loves you with every bit of her being, and you are not making it easy for her," Tonks said as she casually removed her shirt, leaving her wearing just a thin tight almost see through sweat dampened tee shirt and some tight Lycra shorts.

Harry was completely unmoved by the state of undress Tonks was in, or that he could clearly see her nipples through the damp tee shirt, and her other female areas revealed by the tight Lycra. He knew she had a beautiful body but his only female interest was at that moment researching in the family library. "Tonks I love Hermione, I think more of her than anyone or anything, but I… I don't know, I just feel she hasn't told me everything. I need to know why she was throwing her self at Ron, why she was acting like a cheap tart. I… I- I'm not sure I'm saying this right, all that time she spent treating me like she didn't want me around, she was being jealous of Lavender being with Ron. I know because she used to cry on my shoulder about it. She never really explained it except to say she chose him because she didn't love him. I want to believe that, I truly do, but there had to be a reason for the jealousy," he said as he stood up and started to thump one of their practice dummies, they continued talking for several minutes until Tonks decided she had heard enough to have a good idea of all that was troubling the young man.

Tonks had no idea what to say to him, she understood exactly what he was saying and to some extent she understood why he felt the way he did, she knew she would most likely feel the same way in the circumstances. Picking up her clothes she watched him thumping the dummy for a short while before she said she was going for a shower and would talk to him later.

After her shower Tonks made her way to the library and found Hermione exactly where she expected, sitting down she cleared her throat causing Hermione to look up. Seeing Tonks face Hermione closed the book she had been reading and sat up looking at her friend. Tonks took a breath and prepared for Hermione to tell her to keep her nose out of things that did not concern her, but she was almost as confused as Harry was about the way he said she acted.

"I spoke to Harry a while ago, asked him what it is troubling him, he has no idea I'm here, but after what he told me, I am confused. Did you lie to Harry about Ron?" Tonks asked quietly.

Hermione stared at Tonks with her mouth open a look of disbelief in her eyes, "Tonks I would never lie to him, why would he say I lied to him."

"He didn't, he said he asked you about Ron. You told him you chose Ron because you don't love him, and yet according to Harry you cried on his shoulder because Lavender was with Ron. Now I know only too well, what with Remus, that guys are a little slow picking up on feelings and things, but what you did, being jealous and crying on Harry's shoulder about it, showed Harry you at least had really deep feelings for Ron even if it wasn't real full on love. From what he told me even I feel there was far more than you are saying, to be spending so much time of your holidays with Ron and stuff, without the fact that according to Harry you were throwing your self at the red plonker like some cheap tart.

Harry isn't stupid Hermione, you being jealous of Ron's girlfriend tells' him you were in love with the red head and that you may have lied to him. He needs and deserves some sort of proper explanation. Telling him you chose Ron because you were in love with Harry just doesn't work. Suppose you end up having sex with him and your barrier is already gone, then what will you say to make him believe you never went with Ron. Bloody hell it doesn't even work for me and I'm just a friend," Tonks said ending rather loudly.

Hermione stared at Tonks unable to think of what to say, or how to reply; once again she sat trying to think it all through. It was a short while after when Tonks spoke to her again.

"Well if you aren't going to say anything I suppose Harry was right, you do love Ron but just don't want to say so, are you doing all this to try and get Harry to go after Voldemort? Never mind answering that your silence already answered that one, you're even worse than Petunia said you were."

Tonks started to walk away in disgust. "Tonks wait, I'm sorry I didn't answer, it's a bad habit I have. I did it with Harry as well. I forget to answer because I think so much about things. I forgot you were waiting for an answer." Hermione said as Tonks stood looking at her trying to decide if the girl was lying to her.

"Hermione there was nothing to think about, a simple 'no I don't love Ron' would have been enough. If you did that when Harry asked you about Ron, it doesn't matter what your answer was, he will think you were lying no matter how much he loves you. Your 'bad habit' as you call it probably lost you the man you say you love," Tonks said showing no sympathy at all for the younger girl. Sometimes stopping to over think something was a really stupid thing to be doing, it could cost you your life in her line of work.

Hermione stared at her friend as Harry's words came back to her '_If you need to think up answers then you might as well not waste your breath'_

Suddenly she realised just how bad her silence had been, like Tonks he had asked a question that required a simple answer to satisfy him. "Stupid, stupid, stupid, how could I be so bloody stupid?"

Hermione rushed off leaving Tonks behind with a small scowl on her face.

Harry was just walking out of the shower wearing just a towel when he was knocked backward by a bushy haired woman who seemed intent on groping him as much as possible, after a kiss that almost made him dizzy he managed to grab her by her shoulder and hold her back a little. "Hermione what on earth are you playing at?" he asked grabbing his towel to prevent it from falling.

"Harry I love you so much and I've been such a stupid idiot, Tonks told me what you said. I just… I don't even like Ron, he's a bully, always has been. I'm so sorry, I made a stupid mistake, tried to force myself to fall for him. Please Harry forgive me, tell me how to make it right. I'll do anything you ask to make things right between us," Hermione said as she looked down at the floor.

"Well for a start you can start by telling me why you lied about the way you feel for Weasley," Harry said his eyes never leaving her face.

"I didn't lie Harry, the truth is I don't like him that much at all, I admit I was really jealous of Lavender but that was because she had a boyfriend and I didn't, she had the boy I had chosen as a safe choice for myself. I didn't want to admit it because it's so childish and petty. I was stupid and tried to bury the love I had for you in exchange for a little security. I swear it on my magic." Hermione said her stomach churning.

"Next after that oath you can stop calling my girlfriend stupid, then you can wait till I'm dressed before you assault me… mind you I don't know about that last idea." Harry chuckled "go get ready we are going out, I'll ask Tonks if she will drive."

Knowing Harry had finally forgiven her Hermione forced her self back into his arms knocking him backward till he fell back and ended up sitting on the floor, just a few seconds later Hermione was sitting in his lap and they were kissing passionately. Hermione needing to be closer to him turned in his lap until she straddled him, a leg either side of his hips and she pressed her self as close to him as she could, as they kissed passionately again she could feel his arousal showing her exactly how she was affecting him and once again she felt like screaming for him to take her right there on the floor.

Later just after lunch Harry asked Tonks if she could drive them to see the Grangers and then on to see her own parents, Tonks agreed telling them she needed to call in at the ministry because she was going to resign.

Harry was truly surprised and asked why immediately, he was even more surprised when she told them she wanted to devote all her time to training him as much as she could. She was sure she could train him up to Auror standard if they both put their hearts into it. Harry and Hermione were both trying to hug her before Tonks knew what was happening, Harry even made her blush for the first time since she had left Hogwarts when he gave her a quick kiss on her lips and said "thanks sweetheart."

Two hours later Tonks dropped the teenagers off at the Granger house, and then went on to the ministry. Hermione welcomed Harry into her home and made them a drink while they waited for her parents to come home from the dental surgery. It was an hour and thirty minutes later when the Grangers arrived home and Hermione had their evening meal ready for them. Harry had been surprised by Hermione's talent in the kitchen and said so several times as they ate, she told him she had had to learn how to cook at an early age if she wanted to eat during the day while her parents were at work.

Harry explained to the Grangers about the real danger they were in being the parents of the cleverest witch to have attended Hogwarts for more than a century. At first they could not understand how they could be in danger, so Hermione then began to explain that she had not told her parents much of what they had been through together at school or what the wizarding world was truly like. She had been worried in case they removed her from Hogwarts or even worse removed her from him and the magical world altogether.

Harry asked the two Granger parents if they would be willing to visit his home where they had the means to show them exactly what he and Hermione had been through together and what they were facing. He explained about a pensieve and how it worked, he told them that if after seeing the evidence of the bigotry and hate with their own eyes they wanted to return home nobody would do anything to try to stop them.

It was late that evening when Harry played the last of the memories for the Grangers. Being intelligent people it took them both just a few minutes to make the decision to remain at the farm and to sell their dental practice through an agent they knew, it could all be done over the phone so that they would not need to return to their home and any danger there might be there.

Dobby and Winky both volunteered to take care of the Granger home once a week until Voldemort and his death eaters were dead and the Grangers were able to return to their lives as dentists safely. The two elves then vanished and returned a little later with all the Granger's personal belongings having left only the furniture and related items at the Granger house.

The Granger family took a room in the farm house along with Harry and Hermione. The Tonks family refused to move from their home and took the option to have their home put under a Fidelius charm even after Tonks herself warned them against doing that, she quoted what had happened to Harry's parents to make her point but her parents were not swayed and refused to change their minds.

At a meeting in the farmhouse kitchen with everyone who was living there including the elves, Harry started a discussion on how they should move on with their futures; it was a unanimous vote that they continue living at the farm and try to live a normal life, although Harry did comment he didn't know what normal was. The only change they made was they decided to hide in plain sight in the muggle world. They were going to run the farm as a working enterprise and hopefully everyone in the magical world would continue to look on Godrics Hollow as the ruin where the Potters died. There was to be no magic what so ever performed above ground. All magic was to be strictly kept to the lower house, as they had named the underground mansion. Tippy was given a room down in the lower mansion so she could use up all the residual energy from the magic performed there.

It was a week later when Harry and Richard returned to the farm after a rather hectic day at an agricultural auction where Harry had bought several farming implements as well as an old tractor; both men were tired yet pleased with them selves with what they had achieved that day. Later as they ate their evening meal, Harry reached over and took hold of Hermione's hand before he smiled at her and spoke clearly "So Miss Granger, how about you and I get married, what do you think?"

Hermione sat and stared at him while everyone else around the table just carried on as if nothing had been said. She looked around at her mother and father, Tonks, and the four elves, who it seemed had all missed the very clear and open proposal of marriage Harry had just made to her and they continued eating as though he had never spoken. It took her several seconds to notice the hidden smiles and grins, and to realise they were all in on this. They all knew the man she loved was going to propose, smiling to her self she turned back to Harry and gave his hand a squeeze.

"Hmm… well I suppose it would be a way to pass some time away one Saturday morning, so yes I'll marry you Harry," she said calmly and with a straight face.

Harry let go of her hand and went back to eating his food, he paused as he lifted his fork toward his mouth, "Good, so I'll meet you a month from last Saturday at the local chapel 11 am, and don't forget." He then stuffed the fork full of food in his mouth hoping it would help him in his effort to keep a straight face.

Unfortunately it was just a little more than the people he now considered his family could take and they all burst out laughing at the same time when Hermione said "Ok, white dress, 11 am on the Saturday, it's a date, I'll make sure to place a note in my diary."

Having joined in the laughing Harry and Hermione eventually shared a kiss then Harry gently and lovingly placed an engagement ring on her finger and whispered "Thank you, I love you."

After the next two days which all of them spent at the farm simply reading up on farming a hill farm, and taking walks. A rather bored Richard Granger had suggested that they try their hand at starting the running of Godrics Farm as a working farm immediately. He was convinced it would be good cover for them as not even Tom Riddle would be expecting to find Harry Potter working as a farmer on a real working farm, ploughing fields and rearing sheep.

So a few days later a Mr Harold Planter the apparently new owner of Godrics Farm had hired Helen and Richard Richards to work on the farm, along with a Miss Jane Richards as his secretary; he had also hired a Miss. S. Knot as his personal trainer. They had, with the help of some of the local farmers who they had met and become friendly with at the local Inn, learnt how to use the old Ferguson tractor they had bought, they had been shown how to hook up the various farming implements to the tractor and were ready to start cutting the rather long lush grass that grew in the valley covering the whole area. One of the locals had offered to bring along his old hay bailer for them to use once the cut grass had dried out, he promised he would enjoy teaching them how to use it.

At six thirty a m, on his third Monday at the farm Richard Granger sat on the old tractor, started the engine and with a little apprehension he drove out of the barn to begin his first day as a farmer. While Richard was busy cutting the grass, Hermione and Helen were trying their hand at making bread. Tonks and Harry spent the morning in the lower house training, before being joined in the afternoon by Hermione. The first official day as a working farm was completed when Tonks left after their afternoon tea to recruit Neville Longbottom to join them on the farm. Harry felt Neville's love of plants would be a great help in the farm being able to produce a real harvest for the coming autumn. That and Neville could join them in their training.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer, I don't own Harry Potter or any of his friend's, wish I did, then I would write another book with a better end.

Not The Half Blood Prince

Harry and Richard had spent four days taking turns cutting and turning the hay on the south side of the stream that split the valley into two. As the sun began to set on another beautiful day, Harry yelled to Richard above the sound of the tractor that it was time to call it a day. Richard shut off the engine of the tractor and jumped down to stretch his weary bones for a few minutes.

"Who would have thought driving this old thing would be so tiring?" he said as both he and Harry leant their backs against the wheels, and stretched the kinks and twinges out of their joints.

"I reckon another week and we can start the real work, all this hay should be dry enough to bail and store, all that will mean a lot of hands on work, still a few days hard labour and then we can begin the ploughing this side of the valley," Harry said smiling at his future father in law.

"Who's daft idea was it to become blooming farmers?" Richard said as he wiped some of the sweat from his brow.

"Well now, let me think. Oh yes I remember, it was your idea," Harry said laughing quietly.

"Oh yes, so it was. Well next time I have a daft idea try not to agree with me to quickly eh?" Richard said joining in with the laugh.

After unhooking the grass cutter from the tractor, Harry stood on the axle at the side of Richard who had sat behind the steering wheel, and then he sat back on the wheel guard hanging on tight as slowly they made their way toward the farm house. They were just a couple of hundred feet away when Tonks drove past them in their car, both Harry and Richard noticed due to the waving hands sticking out of the car windows that she had passengers although neither of them could tell how many people were in the car.

As Richard drove the tractor into the farmyard and toward the big barn, Harry hopped off and headed into the house. He was wondering who it was in the car with Tonks and what she was doing bringing them to the farm. He knew before he got there if it was some one from the magical world he did not consider trustworthy he would not be well pleased. On entering the kitchen he saw his friend Luna, Instantly Harry knew something had happened he just couldn't think what it might be, his displeasure with Tonks vanishing instantly.

Tonks was the first to notice him as he stood by the door removing his boots. "We need a few more beds preparing Harry," she said as she stood up and crossed to the small drinks cabinet and took out a bottle of brandy along with several glasses.

Harry placed his boots by the fireplace then took a seat at the table, he gave two of his visitors wary looks before turning to the only one of them that were invited "So Nev, what happened?"

"Hello Harry, Tonks told Neville you were getting married, and Neville being a good boyfriend told me, and I thought we best be there in case you get an invasion of Wrackspurts or Nargles, they are rather partial to weddings you know, and these two," Luna said indicating the two Weasley twins with a huge smile "decided that you are simply too much of a trouble magnet to be allowed to get married without some friends around, and so here I am."

Harry stepped forward and gave Luna a quick peck on her lips "You're really welcome, both of you, and Luna love, don't ever change. Fred, George, I'll speak to you two in private later."

Hermione sat at the table trying to hide a chuckle as she shook her head gently in an 'I don't believe it' kind of way, as the two red heads stood up and saluted, "Yes sir dear leader," they said together with huge grins on their faces. Tonks passed each of them a small glass of brandy while Hermione introduced Neville, Fred, George, and Luna first to her mum and dad and then to the elves.

When all the women went into the living room to talk weddings and other women's talk, the men folk stayed in the kitchen. Richard explained to Neville what they were doing and how they were all hiding in plain sight in the hope that no one from the magical world would think to look for them here at the farm.

"Well," Neville said "It seems to be working, there has been a real panic because nobody knows where you are, seems McGonagall had search parties out looking for you for days, I found out just over a week ago. Mind you how these two could hide out in plain view…" he looked at the two red headed men beside him and shrugged his shoulders.

Half an hour later Harry, the Weasley twins, and Neville were joined by the ladies as the new arrivals were given a tour of the lower house. While everyone chose their bedrooms Tonks pulled Harry to one side and informed him that she had promised Luna to ask him if Mandy and Lisa could join them along with their families. Harry had no objections and eagerly encouraged Tonks to take Luna and to fetch them in the morning, the sooner they were some where safe the happier he would be.

The following day at just after six in the morning Harry, Richard, and Hermione were checking out all the old outbuildings and barns, to see if they were suitable for storing the surplus hay in. They had just entered what looked to be the oldest of the barns with Richard in the lead, he was moving aside rubbish to give them some room. Harry heard a low cracking, crunching sort of noise above them and looked up. "RICHARD MOVE!" Harry yelled as one of the large roof beams fell.

What happened next Harry was not sure but as he yelled for Richard to move Richard flew backward ending up standing alongside Harry, while the huge beam of rotten oak seemed to move forward as it fell, putting it out of harms way leaving the three of them unharmed but coughing inside a large cloud of dust.

Hermione worked out what had happened two hours later. She had Harry sitting at the kitchen table with her. She set a pencil down in front of him and told him to move it without using either his physical body or his magic, she told him he was simply to move the pencil with his mind.

Harry and Hermione had just determined that the power that was referred to in the prophecy as the power he knows not, was mind magics like telepathy, telekinesis, teleportation, and empathy, they figured the mind magics was what kept Harry in some sort of contact with the being that tried so often to kill him. Though it was extremely painful when he was in contact with Voldemort it was his subconscious's way of using his empathy to help protect him.

They were just discussing these new and enlightening revelations when they were joined by Luna, who walked into the kitchen and plonked her self down next to Hermione.

"I see you have forgiven him then Hermione, though I did have my doubts about whether or not you would?" Luna said her dreamy way of speaking making both Harry and Hermione smile.

"Hmm, can't seem to live without him, so I had too," Hermione answered quietly with her smile still in place.

"Hang on, just hang on, just one cotton picking minute, what are you talking about Luna?" Harry said looking extremely puzzled at the two females.

Luna gave one of her customized looks that told him he was being thick again, which brought a flush to his face, instantly making him fall quiet. She then turned to look once again at Hermione.

"Hermione you must be about the smartest woman since Rowena Ravenclaw, have you figured out yet why men find things so hard to understand, why it is we women have to keep explaining everything?"

"Luna if I could do that it would make me the smartest woman since Adam and Eve," Hermione answered with a small chuckle.

Luna looked Harry in the eye, something he knew she only ever did when she was being really serious, "Harry what we are talking about is being taken for granted, being treated as a simple accessory instead of a feeling living being. It's a problem you males seem to have. I mean from what I know of your time together Hermione has been the one with the brains, she has always been the one to pull your thin little arse out of the fire, and yet you never thank her, you never put her first in your life, you always place her second after that dumb red head Weasley. I mean tell me one time in all these years when he has been the one to study and research to save your sorry butt. Tell me when he as actually done anything to save you. You can't, but still you placed his friendship above that of Hermione. That's what she forgave you for, for neglecting her feelings, you are just like a bloomin man, totally oblivious."

"I… I… god Hermione she's right, Oh… I… I am so sorry, I never realised, never thought… shit that makes me a right thoughtless wan…" Harry was saying before he was cut off by Hermione.

"Language Harry James Potter!" Hermione said half a second before kissing him "I forgave you, so don't worry about it, ok!"

"No it's not ok, if either of you catch me doing it again give me a kick in the pants," Harry said quietly.

"So what were you discussing when I came in or was it private and I don't need to know?" Luna asked to get to another topic of conversation.

Do either of you fancy a cuppa, I'm gonna put the kettle on while you two talk," Harry said as he rose from his seat.

Harry gave some serious thought about how he had treated Hermione over the years, he had always called her his best friend, and yet as far as he could remember he had taken Ron's side in most of their arguments. These thoughts did nothing to make him feel good about himself or how he had acted when she first arrived at the farm, so he quietly made a vow to try not take Hermione or any other woman for granted in the future.

The Saturday morning arrived with the sun shining down from a clear blue sky, everyone at the farm seemed to be in a small panic as they rushed around getting ready to visit the local village. Harry was standing outside watching the lane, waiting for their friends to arrive, looking at his watch he was getting a little worried, if they did not arrive soon they would be to late for the big event. He was just about to re-enter the house to finish getting ready when he saw two vehicles enter the valley, both of them towing a trailer.

The first car was obviously a modern one, it's metallic blue paint reflecting the sunlight off its highly polished surfaces. Harry was surprised by the second car, it looked like something he had once seen on the rare occasions he had got to see the TV, it was in a film called the Keystone cops, it also looked as though it had been driven several times through a dust storm. Every few yards the car jerked and then puffed out a cloud of blue/white smoke from under the bonnet.

Harry popped his head through the doorway and called into the kitchen, "They're here!" he then turned back toward the road, ready to greet the new arrivals.

Mandy was the first one out of the blue car, jumping out even before it had come to a stop. She rushed forward and flung her self at Harry, almost crushing him in a fierce hug. "Oh Harry! you have no idea how good it is to see you, where's Luna? Where's Hermione? what time is the wedding?" she questioned while he got his breath back after having it squeezed out of him by her hug.

Before Harry could answer Mandy was being hugged by Luna, quickly followed by a greeting from Hermione and then Tonks. Lisa climbed from the Turpin's ancient car and joined in the get together, hugging Harry first before moving on to Luna. They were all followed into the kitchen by the two families. Dobby, Winky and Tippy's two sons unloaded the cars and trailers, taking their belongings down to rooms prepared for them in the lower house.

At ten fifteen everyone, including five invisible house elves, clambered into the cars and left the farm and headed into the local village. On arriving at the village chapel, they found several of their farmer friends waiting, along with the local shop keeper and his wife. It was only a few minutes later when they all filed into the eighteenth century chapel, no one bothered with the normal segregation of the families as they joined four happy people standing at the front.

Aunt Petunia squeezed Harry as hard as she could while she kissed him on both cheeks, at the same time uncle Vernon seemed intent on shaking his arm off. Dudley stood back, a huge smile on his face, he could not be much happier if he tried. He was going to be Harry's groomsman, and with that thought he knew for certain his cousin did not hold the past against him.

When the three Dursleys finally took up their positions, and Luna and Neville took up the places of the maid of honour and best man, the forth person who had been waiting for them inside the chaple stepped forward a little, stood in front of both Harry and Hermione, cleared his throat and began to talk.

"Good morning to you all. Today we are here to witness a ceremony that this old chapel has not seen for almost forty years, we can thank Harry for the re-opening of this house of God. His financial help, and his determination to hold the ceremony in the village is what lead to the new roof and interior refurbishment. I pray that today's ceremony is the start of a new era for our old and yet beloved chapel, now with that said let us begin this happy event.

Before the minister could say another word the doors to the chapel opened and what appeared to be everyone from the village started to enter and take seats in the new pews. Seventy three farmers and villagers all sat quietly as they waited for the last people to enter, there were five village elders that slowly made their way down the centre aisle, coming to a stop when they reached Harry.

The eldest of the men held out his hand to Harry and with a raspy old voice he said "Welcome home Gryffindor." He then turned and with the other elders he took a seat on the nearest pew.

**A/Note** sorry for the shortness of this chapter, I do have my reasons, apart from the fact I am rather tired right now.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer, I don't own Harry Potter or any of his friend's, wish I did, then I would write another book with a better end.

Not The Half Blood Prince

The cleric had a teary look in his eye when he once again cleared his throat rather loudly. A ray of sunshine had found its way into the chapel through the stained glass window, and was bathing the young couple in front of him in a myriad of bright sunlit colours and the sight gave him a warm sense that the two young people standing in front of him were definitely made for each other and the chapel itself was welcoming them.

"We are here today to witness the marriage of one of our own villagers, Harry James Potter, to Miss Hermione Jane Granger. First let me ask does anyone here have any objections to this marriage," taking a look around at the congregations smiling faces and seeing no one complain the minister smiled at the young couple in front of him, "Good, then we will proceed, Harry James Potter do you take this woman, Hermione Jane Granger to be your lawful wedded wife, to love honour and cherish, to have and to hold until death do you part?"

Harry looked into the tear filled eyes of the woman he loved and in a bold and clear voice he answered "I do."

The minister turned to Hermione, "Hermione Jane Granger do you take this man, Harry James Potter to be your lawful wedded husband, to love honour and cherish, to have and to hold until death do you part?"

Hermione had no hesitation what so ever as she answered just as clearly as Harry had, "I do."

"Harry I believe you wish to say something at this point," the minister said smiling at the happy young man.

Harry straightened his back and looked deep into Hermione's eyes, taking a deep breath before he spoke "Hermione, for many years my deepest desire was to have my own family, and like all children I never gave thought to how I would achieve that desire, until one day as a 14 year old I was given some toast by the only person who still believed in me. As I ate that first slice of toast that day my deepest desire changed a little, from that day on it was my deepest desire to have that family with you, I know that I have not been the best at showing my feelings but I vow today that I have loved you and will love you, and be in love with you for all eternity. I Love you Hermione, with my heart and soul."

Hermione looked into his eyes with tears of happiness running down her cheeks, she took a shuddering breath as she tried to calm herself enough to say something in reply, "Harry, I love you so so much, I… I… I mean to give you the children you want; to help you fulfil your wishes and desires will make me the happiest woman alive, because your dreams are my dreams, and those dreams will join us together for all eternity. I will always love you with my mind, body, heart, and soul."

After a moments pause the cleric had them each place their wedding rings on each others fingers and as they did the two teens were surrounded by a glowing golden aura that seemed to fill the entire chapel with happiness. The cheer from the locals that rent the quiet air of the chapel calmed the magical people there who were worried by the display of the magical aura, all the locals were cheering and it did not take a genius to know they had all gathered to witness the golden glow. The three elders of the village waited for the glow to die down before they all stood as one and declared, Like his fathers before him he is a true Gryffindor, Lord of the manor.

Out on the street after the civil ceremony was complete there was money changing hands as villagers claimed their winnings or paid out their losses. When Harry asked one of the elders what was going on, he was told it was a tradition that went back many centuries. Bets were taken on whether the groom was a true Gryffindor, the whole village had shown up to see if Harry and his bride displayed the Gryffindor aura, just as all true Gryffindors before him had done, just as his mum and dad had done.

Harry, Hermione and the group from the farm left the chapel thinking that the ceremony was over and all they had left to do was to enjoy the celebrations, so it was with inquiring looks that they watched as the villagers all collected wooden torches and lit them from a small brazier that had appeared from one of the gardens. The got even more curious as the villagers began to don pure white robes, and then line up in three rows. One of the village elders appeared by the side of Harry and Hermione and handed them both a golden robe.

"Excuse me sir, but what…?" Harry was asking when he was cut off by the old man.

"Time for the real ceremony now Mr and Mrs Potter," he said as he led them to the front of the waiting villagers who had also been joined by the guests from the farm. They too were now dressed in white robes and held a burning torch. Taking the lead the three village elders started to walk toward the far side of the village and the deciduous wood beyond.

In the middle of the woods was a large clearing and in the centre of the clearing stood a circle of tall stones. A miniature version of stone henge, but this circle was complete and the magical people who entered it could feel the power that seemed to flow around them. In the exact centre of the stones stood a flat triangular stone, each side measured four feet one inch. At the three points of the triangle there was a rune that Hermione could not identify, engraved deeply into the stone.

The old man had Harry stand on the rune facing the east Hermione was placed on the rune facing to the north, once they were standing correctly facing the point of the triangle the old man stepped back and joined the circle of white robed people.

As they stood wondering what was happening Harry and Hermione heard the circle of people begin to chant in Welsh, neither of them understanding the language they had no idea what the chant was about. Five minutes after the chant began they found themselves surrounded by a white light that seemed to swirl around as it formed the triangle in to a pyramid. Suddenly total silence fell on them until they heard a commanding voice telling them to face the centre. There standing on the west facing rune they saw a shimmering ghost, he had a long white beard and seemed to be dressed in a heavy white robe that reached the ground.

"Merlin!" Hermione exclaimed quietly.

"Yes child, that is the name I am now known by. My true name is Myrddin Wyllt but you may call me Merlin. Reach out your hands with palms up my children and take the blessings of the old gods, freely given to the heirs of Gryffindor," Merlin replied

Harry and Hermione did as they were told and both were enclosed in a bubble of ice blue light that seemed to penetrate into their very souls. Moments later both Harry and Hermione found themselves each holding a seven foot staff. As the blue light faded it seemed to sink into their skin filling them with ancient knowledge and power, by the time the light was completely gone both of them knew how to fight and use their magic with the staffs, they also knew spells and incantations were no longer needed to perform any magic they wanted. They had just enough time to thank Merlin before he vanished from sight.

The procession back to the village square was filled with happy villagers who danced and sang as they made their way back. The celebration carried on well into the night even after Harry, Hermione, and every one else from the farm had gone back to the farm for their own celebration.

On Monday morning Harry and Richard were working in the fields when one of the young villagers raced toward them on an old motor bike. Even before he had stopped he was yelling that there were over a dozen weirdly dressed people who were gathering up the villagers in the village square, "The elders sent me to get the help of the protectors," the young man said between pants.

Harry without thinking about it or saying a word simply vanished from the field and reappeared in the farmhouse kitchen. As he faded into view Hermione turned to see what the disturbance was.

"Sound's like we have death eaters in the village," Harry said as he held out his hand and his staff appeared.

Hermione copied his movements and then just a few short seconds later they both vanished from sight. Luna who had been in the kitchen with Hermione gathered everyone together as quickly as she could, almost tripping over each other in their haste they all piled into the vehicles and set off for the village.

Harry and Hermione arrived in the village before the death eaters had killed anyone. Twenty death eaters dressed in their black robes and white skull masks surrounded the gathered villagers. As soon as Harry and Hermione faded in to view Lucius Malfoy stepped forward and with a large sneer stuck on his face he spoke to Harry, "Ah Potter, so my Lord was correct when he said that the magic detected yesterday was yours, now if you dont want to see any of these worthless Muggles die then hand over your wands and surrender."

Harry looked at the biggoted lunatic and slowly shook his head, "Lucy if you and the rest of your idiots want to walk out of this village alive you have just three seconds to drop your wand and put your hands on your head."

The last thing that Lucius Malfoy ever did was to look around at his fellow death eaters and then join them in laughing at the boy in front of him.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer, I don't own Harry Potter or any of his friend's, wish I did, then I would write another book with a better end.

Not The Half Blood Prince

Chapter 9

As Lucius Malfoy turned to laugh with his fellow servants of the dark lord Harry raised his hand a little, as his hand rose his new staff appeared, it was crackling and sparking with what appeared to be electric as he took it in his hand. Then he brought the base down with a loud crack on the ground between his feet. A blue streak of light raced across the ground from the staff to the feet of each and every death eater, one second later there was a light display like nothing the villagers had ever seen before as each death eater was enveloped in a lightening like charge that seemed to come from the very ground they stood on. Within a few quick moments all the death eaters were unconscious having been electrocuted.

Harry wielder of Merlin's staff was as amazed as the rest of the gathering, he had had no idea what would happen when he felt compelled to strike the ground with his staff. As his staff struck the ground and the lightening enveloped the death eaters just one of them was left standing alone.

Lucius Malfoy found him self paralyzed, unable to move so much as an eye brow. Harry had seen flashes of Malfoy's life and knew the man was guilty of a large number of rapes and murders of Muggles and Muggle born's. Righteous anger flowed through Harry's veins and a light shot from his staff, it hit Malfoy dead centre of his forehead and as good as destroyed his brain by completely locking Malfoy's mind into his worst possible nightmare for the rest of his life, most of which would be spent in a locked and padded cell somewhere in the depths of Azkaban prison.

An hour later Tonks and a few of the others had delivered twenty death eaters to the ministry. Every one of their prisoners was suffering from an electrically induced form of incurable amnesia; apart from the basics of life they had no idea how to do anything. Tonks informed the officer of the day that she had no idea if it was a permanent or temporary condition, in truth she didn't actually care. They were out of the coming war and could cause no more harm to anyone in the condition they were in.

Before returning to the farm Harry set up some warning runes around the village, he would be warned about any further visits from death eaters as soon as they arrived. The villagers would no longer need to rely on a runner crossing the fields and streams to the farm.

As soon as he had finished setting the runes and headed for home the staff vanished once again, Harry knew it would reappear if he needed it and did not worry about the odd behaviour of the piece of wood known as Merlin's staff.

Life on the farm returned to what they all now accepted as normal, and it remained that way for almost three weeks. It was late on the Saturday afternoon when the quiet of the valley was interrupted by the sound of numerous cracks and pops, Voldemort and his minions had arrived in Godrics hollow once again after so many years.

Harry did a quick and rough count of the death eaters, there were, as far as he could tell, just over fifty of them, all of them gathered behind Voldemort. Looking around him Harry found his handful of friends all standing ready to take on the might of the dark lord.

Helen and Richard Granger stood with the wizards and witches, each of them holding a small submachine gun. Harry had no idea where they had got them from and he was not about to ask. As he looked at Voldemort he noticed the pylons that crossed the valley to bring power to the out lying farms, Voldemort and his followers were standing directly below the power lines. With no thought on his part Harry found the staff of Merlin in his hand once again.

A quick look up at the power lines seemed to be all that the staff needed to know what Harry was thinking and what he wanted to do. A shaft of electric blue light shot from the staff to the wires above Voldemort, the evil wizard laughed at Harry "You should have practised your aim Potter, I've witnessed babes with better aim."

Harry looked Voldemort in the eye and shrugged, he was quite happy to listen to the fool spout his inane babblings all day if necessary.

"So Potter are you and your friends ready to die, are you ready to watch your mudblood bitch die?" Voldemort said with a sneer.

"Thomas Marvolo Riddle, son of a witch so ugly she had to ensnare a muggle with love potions. What's it like Tom knowing your muggle father deserted you when the potion wore off, what's it like knowing your mother was so ugly your father would rather die than live with her?" Harry asked loud enough for all to hear. "seeing the mutterings of your minions it would seem you forgot to tell them that you like me, are a filthy half blood."

As Voldemort aimed his wand at Harry and began to say the crusio curse he was hit from above by a huge bolt of electrical power. Unable to do anything to help himself Voldemort stood trapped in the force that was draining his magic. It was then that Harry discovered what had actually kept Voldemort anchored to the world when a thin purple beam left the dying wizard and split into many parts, each part of the beam rushed toward a death eater and locked onto the dark mark each of them had on their arms, Voldemort's life force was feeding off his minions. A large number of the purple beams of magic even left the valley headed for who knew where. As his death eaters slowly died around him, drained of their life force by Voldemort in his fight to survive, he him self began to shrivel and die.

Five minutes later Harry Potter and his family and friends stood looking at the smouldering mess that had been Voldemort. Harry sent Tonks to the ministry in London to enlist the help of the Auror force to remove the dead death eaters from his land.

Tonks no longer worried about their home being discovered apparated away. She returned fifteen minutes later with a whole bunch of portkeys that Harry needed to place his permission to use them with his magic. He had to touch each object separately. Once that was done Tonks once again apparated away. She returned ten minutes later with a force of one hundred Auror's plus the minister of magic.

The minister found it almost beyond belief that Voldemort and his entire force had been wiped out without the use of a single spell. "I used electricity, a power the evil git did not understand." Harry informed the minister when he handed over a copy of his memory of the event.

The minister informed Harry and those with him that thirty two members of the Wizengamot had died when they had all been hit with a strange purple beam, they had also lost several Auror's and a host of other ministry workers including one of their ex professor's Jane Umbridge. The British Wizarding government would have to be rebuilt almost from scratch, as would the rest of their society because most of the purebloods had died along with their leader. "It's now time for the Muggle born witches and wizards." The minister said before Harry told what had happened.

Harry explained to the minister "Voldemort had anchored him self to this world by using a link between his life force and that of his servants through their dark marks. As long as one of them survived Tom Riddle would not die. It had been one of his biggest errors. If Tom had used only one or two of his lackeys he might well be alive now and I would be the one dead. As it was he was linked to all of his followers and they could not help him because of the pain caused when Tom tried to feed from them to stay alive. Had they been able to help him… well need I say more?"

Harry and the minister parted ways, the minister back to London to start on rebuilding their world. Harry back to being a farmer with his wife and those he now considered his family.

The parties and celebrations would last for over a week, but those living at the farm were simple relieved to be able to live their lives how they wanted too.

Sorry folks but that's all for now. bye


End file.
